Dear union siblings,
I am excited to announce that our Count On Me campaign was a success, with 99% of members responding that they will vote YES in a strike authorization vote. Therefore:
Our union’s first-ever strike authorization vote will be March 10-12th, 2026!
Please mark your calendars and plan to vote (both in-person and online options will be available). If you use Google calendar, here’s a link to add it to your calendar.
This is a reflection of the incredible work you have done organizing your colleagues and talking to them about fighting together for what we deserve. There is still much work to be done to win a fair contract from the District, but this is a significant achievement.
In the weeks to come, we will be sharing more details about the status of our impasse negotiations, the logistics of the strike authorization vote, and the timing and logistics of a potential strike, but below is a brief Q&A about the strike authorization vote.
- What is a “Strike Authorization Vote?”
A strike authorization vote is a standard democratic process for union members to empower their leadership to call a strike if circumstances warrant. A strike authorization does not necessarily mean a strike will happen, but rather gives our union the authority to call a strike.
We have been bargaining with the District since February 2025, and while we’ve had some successes (winning binding arbitration for grievances and more concrete rights for accommodations), the District has been highly resistant to making better offers on issues of high importance to our members, such as fair compensation increases, academic freedom, better health and dental coverage, pay parity, and lab parity. We will continue working to win a fair contract through impasse mediation and the impasse process, but the bottom line is that a strong “Yes” strike authorization vote is necessary to apply meaningful pressure on the District to make real movement toward a fair contract.
- How does the strike authorization vote work?
Members of AFT 1493 will be eligible to vote, and ballots will be confidential. We will be providing both in-person and online voting options, and voting will be open Tuesday, March 10th through Thursday, March 12th. A simple 50%+1 majority is necessary to authorize the union to call a strike; however, for our strike authorization vote to have maximum impact, we will be aiming for a much higher percentage of “Yes” votes. Based on the responses to our Count On Me campaign, we are highly confident we will have a very successful strike authorization vote!
- If a strike were called, when would a strike occur?
That depends on the impasse process and ultimately would be up to our members. It would not occur prior to the end of the impasse process, which could take several more months. Ideally, a Yes vote results in better offers from the District and we settle the contract without needing to call for a strike. However, if the District doesn’t meaningfully improve their offers and we are unable to settle the contract during the impasse process, our union, through consultation with you and our members, would plan a strike to occur sometime after the impasse procedure concludes.
For more Strike FAQs, see the document we shared at the beginning of the Count On Me campaign. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your campus union reps or me with questions!
In Solidarity,
Chet Lexvold
Executive Director
San Mateo Community College Federation of Teachers, AFT 1493
lexvold@aft1493.org
(650) 395-8347