Dear Superintendent Matthews and Commissioners of the San Francisco Board of Education,
We are all well aware that instruction for SFUSD students is scheduled to begin on August 17. SFUSD educators, represented by United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), are scheduled to return to work during the week of August 10. Dedicated UESF members, including those who are supporting and participating in negotiations for a Crisis Distance Learning Memorandum of Understanding, have been working hard all summer to prepare for the start of instruction, and yet here we are, fewer than three weeks before instruction is to resume, without an MOU in place.
This is an urgent situation.
The UESF Bargaining Team presented detailed proposals to the SFUSD Bargaining Team on July 27 and July 29. In return, we received no proposals in response from the District– none! And to make matters worse, the District’s lead negotiator went on vacation on Thursday and Friday, July 30 and 31, so we were unable to continue bargaining. The parties have agreed to meet twice more for negotiations on Monday, August 3 and Wednesday, August 5. UESF is committed to continuing talks for as long as it takes past our scheduled 2:00 end time on August 5 to come to agreement with SFUSD on an MOU.
What we have proposed is reasonable and achievable, and will provide our students and educators with the support and resources needed in these most trying of times. SFUSD must do its part and bargain in good faith with UESF next week so that educators can return to work on August 11 with an MOU in place.
Sincerely,
Susan Solomon, President
United Educators of San Francisco
