Students stand solidly behind faculty’s fight for a fair contract

By Jessica Silver-Sharp

“Going on strike will only harm your students.” In education, this refrain is used by management to discourage faculty from withholding their labor to pursue improved working conditions. But when we ask our students, “Do you support your teachers in a strike for fair pay and benefits?” the answer is a resounding yes.

Students care deeply about their teachers, counselors, and librarians; they easily comprehend that faculty well-being translates to their own learning experiences. Students recognize that the real harm comes from administrative intransigence, not faculty organizing. 

Students Join Picket Line

That understanding was on full display this fall, as students spoke out—publicly and forcefully—in support of a fair contract for faculty. At AFT’s October 8, 2025, Flex Day boycott and again at our October 29, 2025, rally outside the District Office, student activists and club leaders from all three colleges stepped up to the mic before an audience of faculty. Some also joined picket practice, while others found the courage to speak directly to the Board, Chancellor Moreno, and college presidents in the District boardroom. Their remarks made it clear: students grasp the issues and stand with faculty. (Follow AFT 1493 on Instagram and visit our website to see how it all played out). 

Students took the megaphone in support of faculty demands. In front of the SMCCCD District Office, October 29, 2025.

Student Journalism

Student journalism is also continuing to play an important role in the struggle. For The Skyline View—the only student newspaper still in publication in our District—student journalist and news editor Justin Kapsas covered all of AFT’s Fall and Winter actions. Through interviews with AFT leaders and a series of increasingly informative front-page articles, he’s helped educate the student body about the complexities of contract negotiations, presenting the District’s viewpoint as well. Recent coverage has included “AFT 1493 Organizes Campaign to Gain Support from Union Members to Authorize a Strike” (Jan. 21, 2026), “District Files for Impasse with AFT 1493” (Nov. 4, 2025), and “San Mateo County Community College District Settles Contract with One Union; AFT 1493 Rallies for Its Own Contract” (Oct. 11, 2025). The most recent article was also published in Spanish. 

Graphic image by Andrea Fuentes

In fact, SMCCD student journalists have documented faculty struggles for fair treatment for decades—a history made visible by the recent digitization of student newspapers from all three campuses, dating back to 1924 at CSM, 1968 at Cañada, and 1969 at Skyline. 

Letter Campaigns and Walkouts

From November through January, students also participated in a letter-writing campaign demanding a fair contract, sending nearly 1,100 messages to the Chancellor and the Board. At Cañada College, a newly formed club adopted an initiative to support a potential faculty strike. That club—now joined with Students for Justice in Palestine under mathematics instructor /faculty advisor Michael Hoffman—devoted its January 29 meeting to a student-led discussion on the history of student and faculty strikes in the Bay.

The next day, on January 30, faculty had the opportunity to stand in solidarity with students by joining student-organized walkouts on all three campuses to protest ICE actions in Minnesota. 

Graphic image by Michael Hoffman

Clearly the student response undercuts the idea that faculty strikes harm students. More importantly, these moments of mutual support strengthen faculty unity, reinforce the legitimacy of faculty demands, and demonstrate the power of student-faculty collaborations to advance equity. We are deeply grateful to our students for their continued solidarity and support.