After a 16-hour bargaining session that stretched past midnight, the United Administrators of San Francisco, AFSA Local 3, announced they have reached a tentative agreement with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
The deal, which union leaders say both “recognizes the work we do” and has already been pre-approved by the district’s California Department of Education fiscal advisor, marks the end of a long and often tense negotiation process.
Under the tentative agreement, every member will receive a one-time payment of $7,521 along with a 2% salary increase for the 2025–2026 school year, retroactive to July 1, 2025. Administrators will also receive 2% raises in both 2026–2027 and 2027–2028, and the contract includes a “me too” clause ensuring parity if any other union secures a higher percentage increase.
As part of the compromise, AFSA Local 3 agreed to pause sabbaticals from 2026 to 2028 and to remove Article 5.3.3, which had allowed administrators moving to the teachers’ union (UESF) mid-contract to retain their administrator-level pay. Despite those changes, the union successfully maintained its three-year contract term, meaning negotiations will not reopen until 2028 once both sides ratify the agreement.
“This was a long, hard-fought process,” union representatives said in a message to members early Wednesday morning. “We’re proud to have secured a fair agreement that reflects our members’ dedication to San Francisco’s schools and students.”
Even with the deal in hand, Local 3 leaders are urging members to remain visible and engaged. Administrators are being asked to attend the upcoming Board of Education budget update with the Superintendent this Wednesday, wearing UA shirts to show unity and continue pressing for financial transparency and support for school leadership.
The agreement comes amid heightened tensions between the district and its administrators. Earlier this month, Mission Local reported that SFUSD principals accused the Superintendent of threatening legal action over their contract demands — a move that left many administrators angry according to the news outlet. Read that story here.
With a tentative deal now on the table, AFSA Local 3 members will soon vote on ratification, marking what could be a hard-earned step forward in stabilizing leadership across San Francisco’s public schools.
