The union for a South County school district announced late Wednesday that teachers had authorized a strike. The strike vote comes after 20 months of negotiations, according to the union, which have resulted in an impasse with the South Bay Union School District.
Teachers’ unions across the state have been engaged in similar struggles with other districts. For example, in the San Diego Unified School District, the union announced a one-day strike while negotiations were still ongoing.
The Southwest Teachers Association, which represents teachers in South Bay Union School District, has not yet set a start date for its strike.
Norma Sahagun, bargaining chair and special education teacher for moderate to severe disabilities, said the district is prioritizing management over teachers and students.
“It’s not a money problem,” she explained. “It’s just a budget problem, and a priorities problem.”
As a special education teacher, Sahagun expressed concern that the district is losing special education teachers to districts offering better compensation.
“Our students are now being impacted by not having those qualified teachers,” she said.
Sahagun also noted that the two sides have spent 20 months negotiating for a one-year reopener contract for the 2024-25 school year, as the union’s contract expired in June.
In response, Amy Cooper, executive assistant to the superintendent and special projects, shared a statement on behalf of the district. The district expressed disappointment that an agreement has not been reached after more than a year of negotiations.
“We value our staff and feel that we are meeting our goal to ensure highly competitive salaries in all job classifications given the district’s revenue limitations,” the statement read.
The district said it is hopeful that upcoming fact-finding meetings next week will help both sides reach a “collaborative resolution.”
Sahagun echoed this hope, emphasizing the need for the school district and superintendent to prioritize students and staff moving forward.
“It’s just that the school district and the superintendent need to prioritize students and staff,” she said.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/01/22/south-county-teachers-union-approves-strike-after-impasse-in-bargaining/
