Teachers' Unions Across California Mobilizing In Labor Fights

Dozens of teachers' unions have reached contract impasses with their respective school districts.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Across California, more local teachers unions are in active disputes right now, from bargaining breakdowns to strike authorizations and walkouts. In San Francisco, teachers are in their third day of a high-stakes labor fight with the district, leaving nearly 50,000 students out of school. Teachers with the San Diego Education Association are planning a one-day walkout, and members of United Teachers Los Angeles have also authorized a strike. A new report commissioned by LA County lays out how ICE raids there have hurt some local businesses.

Why it matters

The labor disputes highlight the growing tensions between teachers' unions and school districts over issues like wages, healthcare, and school funding. The strikes and walkouts disrupt learning for thousands of students and their families, underscoring the broader challenges facing public education in California.

The details

The San Francisco teachers' strike comes after nearly a year of tense contract negotiations between the San Francisco Unified School District and the United Educators of San Francisco union. The union is demanding higher wages that keep up with the rising cost of Bay Area living and fully-funded family health care, while the district argues its dire budget crisis makes meeting those demands an impossibility. Similar labor disputes are playing out in other districts across the state, with teachers in San Diego and Los Angeles also taking action.

  • The San Francisco teachers' strike is in its third day on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
  • Teachers with the San Diego Education Association are planning a one-day walkout later this month.
  • Members of United Teachers Los Angeles have also authorized a strike.

The players

United Educators of San Francisco

The labor union representing teachers in the San Francisco Unified School District.

San Francisco Unified School District

The school district in San Francisco that is in contract negotiations with the United Educators of San Francisco union.

San Diego Education Association

The labor union representing teachers in the San Diego school district.

United Teachers Los Angeles

The labor union representing teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Danielle Mahones

A researcher with UC Berkeley's Labor Center who commented on the statewide teachers' union mobilization.

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What they’re saying

“They are organizing together across districts with parents and students to demand the schools that every California student deserves”

— Danielle Mahones, Researcher, UC Berkeley Labor Center (KQED)

What’s next

The judge in the San Francisco teachers' strike case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the strike to continue.

The takeaway

The widespread labor disputes between teachers' unions and school districts across California highlight the growing tensions over issues like wages, healthcare, and school funding. These strikes and walkouts disrupt learning for thousands of students, underscoring the broader challenges facing public education in the state.