Judy Dellamonica (left) and Joan-Marie Shelley (right) sign the merger agreement that created UESF in 1989.

UESF was founded in 1989 when the San Francisco Federation of Teachers merged with the San Francisco Classroom Teachers to become the United Educators of San Francisco. The merger was possible because of the vision of both Joan-Marie Shelley, UESF’s first president and the former leader of the SFFT, and Judy Dellamonica, UESF’s first Executive Vice-President, and former leader of the SFCTA.