Coalinga-Huron Unified teachers to strike for better pay
COALINGA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Educators from the Coalinga-Huron Unified School District, members of the Coalinga-Huron Unified Teachers Association (CHUTA) voted to authorize a strike if a settlement cannot be reached by early May, officials announced Tuesday.
After months of negotiations, officials with the CHUTA say the Coalinga-Huron Unified School District (CHUSD) has outright refused to prioritize the retention of educators, and that they are “lying to the public about their inability to pay teachers a salary” that competes with nearby districts.
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According to the teachers association, CHUSD can afford to resolve this issue “quite easily” and they say if they do not, “they are going to fail the students they are entrusted to educate.”
Because of this, CHUTA officials say they and the school district are nearing the end of the impasse process and will participate in a fact-finding hearing on April 19. Educators will be picketing outside the hearing between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Jessica Cardenas, CHUTA’s president, says over 96% of the members who voted say they are willing to strike.
“We won’t be fooled by CHUSD’s desire to divide our community and claim they cannot afford to pay teachers a cost-of-living increase. If we do not settle a fair agreement, we will have a mass exodus of CHUSD educators to districts in surrounding towns. We know what this would do to our schools and communities. If CHUSD will not prioritize students, then we must take up the fight on their behalf,” she said.
CHUTA officials say if no settlement is reached by the time the parties receive an advisory report from the fact-finding panel, Coalinga-Huron educators will then be able to lawfully strike.
The Coalinga-Huron Unified School District has been reached out for comment, but they did not respond in time for this story.
