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The Latest – Friday, March 18:

6:42 p.m.

The Sacramento City Unified School District said it would close all campuses if a strike happens next week. 

Original story below:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — The Sacramento City Teachers Association set a strike date on Thursday, in the case that no agreement is reached between the unions and the district. 

The SCTA and Service Employees Union International Local 1021 authorized a strike on March 10. In a press release from the SEIU, they cited different alleged grievances tied to a teacher shortage and lack of resources for students.

“I cover 18 different schools. I cover private schools where we place students who have private needs. I have a high school, I cover the independent study program, and I also have two elementary schools,” said school nurse Nho Le-Hinds. “It boils down to our students really need the services, and they are not getting it.”

The SCTA said the strike will happen on March 23 if the Sacramento City Unified School District refuses to agree to hire more teachers and other faculty and continues to propose cutting workers’ benefits. 

“It’s just pitiful. It so unreasonable that they never approached us with what their demands are,” said Karla Faucett, SEIUI Local 1021 chapter president. 

President of the SCTA and fellow teacher Davis Fisher said about 3,000 students go without a substitute teacher on any given day. 

“We have over 100 resignations in this year already for next year, and it’s only March. We must stop this now and turn the ship around,” Fisher said. 

If the union goes through with the strike, it would be the second in three years. 

“In 2019, it was to get the district to implement what they had already agreed to. With this, we don’t even have an agreement,” Fisher said. 

The SCUSD board said they are facing a budget issue and cannot continue to spend freely. 

“For too long, our district has committed to ongoing costs that are greater than ongoing revenues. This has resulted in a persistent structural budget deficit that means we are committed to spending more than what we receive from the state and federal government,” said the board president. 

“It doesn’t have a budget problem; it has a priority problem.  There is no reason to be fighting. There is no reason. They have all the resources ready to work on this vacancy crisis,” Fisher said. 

“Our students deserve better, and the people that serve your students, they deserve a lot better too,” said Faucett.