Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1515721
THE STRIKE VOTE: A Show of Unity and Power After six months of bargaining with a district administration that didn't seem interested in recruiting and retaining quality educators, UESF held a strike authorization vote in mid-October 2023 that showed just how ready members were to fight for their students and each other. Thousands of educators converged on Balboa High School that afternoon, forming a massive serpentine line that coiled back and forth across the campus in a powerful display of unity, and a promise to admin that UESF was ready to strike if necessary. "People were showing up before con- tract hours were up, so it was almost like a job action," says Alex Schmaus, a special education instructional aide and UESF Bargaining Team member. "It wasn't just the numbers; it was the membership showing us they were ready to fight and also wanting to fight." When the votes were tallied, 97% had voted to authorize a strike to win the schools that San Francisco deser ved. Bargaining team member Jeffrey Finger says the turnout was a loud message to not blink at the bar- gaining table. The tone at the table changed after the strike vote, with admin getting more serious about the bargain and taking a more collaborative approach. In a matter of weeks, the district's offer improved dramatically — for cer- tificated educators alone, the offer went from a one-year, $5,500 raise to a two-year offer with a $9,000 raise the first year and 5% the second. " We were ver y far apar t for months and months, and then we had the strike authorization vote and they were throwing money at us," Schmaus says. "Look at how far the district came in such a short time — and that's because of organizing," Finger adds. Thousands of UESF members converged on Balboa High School for a strike authorization vote in October. " When we are united, we can change district management's decisions no matter how impossible they claim it to be." — Tina Leung, bilingual speech language pathologist lowest paid, the team sought to lift the salary schedule from the bottom, fighting for dignity and a basic standard of living for all UESF members. Gilliam says they even looked at current gaps in equity and anticipated places where district admin would try to divide the union. "Equity became an important anchor, so we got what the general membership needed at the table," she says. "It was a learning experience. I hadn't previ- ously considered others in the unit — I learned about my colleagues in a way I hadn't before." Special education instructional aide Alex Schmaus says they thought strate- gically about what it means to be a union that is centered in inclusion and unity, including understanding that collective action is higher stakes for ESPs, who often are living close to the edge. " We s e t a g o a l of e q u i ty f r o m t h e beginning. We're trying to lift a section of our membership out of poverty," says Schmaus. "is is a path we have to walk for a few cycles, but it's in sight now." Since 1996, paraeducator longevity pay had been stagnant at an additional 30 cents an hour after 10 years of service to the district, different than the usual percentage pay increases provided to vet- eran staffers. is disparate approach to recruiting and retaining quality paraed- ucators showed a lack of value for these educators and the important ser vices they provide to San Francisco students. The bargaining team embraced the idea that making meaning ful improve- ments to paraeducator pay is a special education issue and struck a huge victory for equity, including percentage-based longevity increases for paraeducators and an SFUSD where no classified employee makes less than $30 an hour. 32 cta.org Feature