Lurie Offers 12% Raises and No Layoffs to 24,000 City Workers

Published September 10, 2026

https://growsf.org/news/2026-09-08-lurie-union-deal-raises-no-layoffs

The Facts

Mayor Daniel Lurie reached an early tentative agreement with 10 unions representing 24,000 city workers: 12% raises across 2027 to 2031 (3% per year) and no layoffs through June 30, 2029. Union members must still ratify the deal, report Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Gabriel Lorenzo Greschler, and Maggie Angst at The Standard.

The Context

The agreement heads off bargaining that was expected to become contentious after police received 14% raises. Earlier this year, unions threatened San Francisco's first major city-worker strike in roughly 50 years as Lurie pursued layoffs and spending cuts.

Lurie has already reduced the size of city government. His first budget eliminated 1,237 authorized positions in 2025–26 and another 25 the following year. His latest budget schedules 249 more position reductions in 2027–28. The Controller says that budget also contains about $300 million in ongoing savings, cutting the projected 2028–29 shortfall from $742 million to about $450 million.

The fiscal problem remains. The City's March forecast projected its annual deficit growing to $1.09 billion by 2029–30, with salaries and benefits the largest spending-growth category. The Mayor's Office has not publicly explained how it will fund the raises, but we expect it will be similar to strategies used in the past: closing open roles and counting on attrition and retirement.

The GrowSF Take

Absolutely nobody wants a City worker strike, so we're glad to lock in a mutually agreeable solution early. But committing to a new contract as we're facing a looming billion dollar deficit is a risky strategy.

The Board should approve this agreement only if recurring savings or revenue fully cover it without degrading core services.

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Targeted Policing Helped Drive Car Break-Ins to a 22-Year Low

Published September 9, 2026

https://growsf.org/news/2026-09-04-targeted-policing-car-break-ins-22-year-low

The Facts

Reported car break-ins are down 75% since 2024 and at a 22-year low.

The Context

The improvement is not purely local: thefts from vehicles fell 17.7% across California and about 15% nationally in 2024. San Francisco’s 57% drop that year far exceeded both baselines.

Our earlier analysis found the sharp local decline began around September 2023, after Mayor London Breed, Police Chief Bill Scott, and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins launched targeted patrols, bait cars, and investigations into organized burglary crews and stolen-goods networks.

The GrowSF Take

San Francisco voters were right to approve Proposition E, giving police access to drones and faster deployment of public-safety cameras. San Francisco’s large, abrupt, and sustained decline shows targeted enforcement works.

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Mission BART Plaza Cleanup Continues After Modest Progress

Published September 9, 2026

https://growsf.org/news/2026-09-05-lurie-extends-mission-bart-plaza-cleanup

The Facts

It's getting a little bit better around the Mission BART plazas, according to the official numbers. Mayor Lurie’s "90-day cleanup" resulted in "534 notices of violations, 93 first-time citations, 14 second-time citations and three misdemeanors" according to Mission Local and it will now continue indefinitely.

Police assigned to the effort made 481 arrests and citations around 16th Street in 90 days, about half for drug violations.

The Context

Supervisor Jackie Fielder previously requested 24/7 ambassadors, but the administration rejected the expansion over a quadrupling of costs.

Police are able to crack down on the sale of stolen goods due to a 2025 state law authored by Senator Scott Wiener. SF now requires permits for selling merchandise commonly targeted by retail theft and can escalate repeat violations from warnings to citations and misdemeanors.

The GrowSF Take

We're thankful for some progress, but it isn't really noticeable to people walking through the plaza. Right now the plazas act as a "Schelling point," meaning sellers and buyers know they can go to these BART plazas to buy and sell stolen goods and drugs. The only way that can change is through consistent enforcement so the plazas stop being the known places to break the law.

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