San Francisco Teachers Win Fully Funded Health Care, Wage Increases After 4-Day Strike

The union received much of their demands, including fully employer-paid family health care benefits and wage increases.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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After four days on the picket line, the San Francisco teachers union reached a tentative agreement with the city's school district. The union received much of their demands, including fully employer-paid family health care benefits and wage increases.

Why it matters

The strike highlighted the ongoing challenges of adequately funding public education, especially in high-cost urban areas like San Francisco. The agreement represents a victory for the teachers' union in securing better benefits and compensation, but the district will need to find ways to afford these new costs while facing a projected $100 million deficit.

The details

The tentative agreement reached between the San Francisco teachers union and the school district addresses the union's concerns over health care, salaries and other key issues that led to the first teachers strike in the city in nearly 50 years.

  • The strike lasted for 4 days.
  • The tentative agreement was reached on Friday, February 14, 2026.

The players

San Francisco teachers union

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

San Francisco Unified School District

The public school district serving the city of San Francisco.

Daniel Lurie

The mayor of San Francisco, who played a role in the negotiations between the district and the teachers union.

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What’s next

The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by the teachers union membership and approved by the school board before it can be finalized.

The takeaway

The strike and subsequent agreement highlight the ongoing challenges of adequately funding public education, especially in high-cost urban areas. The victory for the teachers' union in securing better benefits and compensation represents progress, but the district will need to find ways to afford these new costs while facing a projected $100 million deficit.