Have teachers unions resisted returning to in-person instruction in US schools?

Throughout summer and into the fall, teachers unions across the country have resisted pressures to reopen schools for in-person learning, citing continuing health concerns for both members and their students.

In Chicago, where schools did not reopen this fall because of union resistance, new plans approved by local public-health officials to open classrooms for pre-K and special-needs students continue to meet resistance. In Los Angeles, unions have agreed only to limited in-person "assessments" and some specialized services. In San Francisco, officials and unions remain at odds over terms for reopening. Florida's statewide union failed to stop reopening but continues to criticize the state's policies.

With a November surge in infection rates, at least a dozen reopened major school districts have reversed course, highlighting continuing uncertainty about how to respond to the coronavirus.