State board orders disbandment of employee group in Clovis Unified

The state’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has ordered the disbandment of Clovis Unified’s faculty senate, following an appeal to a December finding that Clovis Unified violated state law and employees’ rights to unionize, according to a media release from the Association of Clovis Educators (ACE). 

The faculty senate is the teachers’ group that has operated instead of a formal union in Clovis Unified for decades.

ACE, the group behind the most recent effort to unionize teachers in the school district, filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the district in July 2021. According to The Fresno Bee, the complaint alleged that Clovis Unified stifled the union from organizing by supporting the faculty senate for decades — despite a 1980s ruling that found the district’s stance violated state law.

Upholding the 1984 decision, the Dec. 7 PERB ruling ordered the district to cease providing preferential treatment, financial support and other assistance to the senate, according to a 151-page decision.

ACE appealed the December decision, which did not order the relationship between the district and faculty senate to end, according to a media release from ACE.

Last week, PERB ruled in favor of ACE in the appeal.

Clovis Unified is California’s largest school district without a teacher’s union. But the late June ruling to disband the faculty senate will “allow educators to choose representation they believe is in their best interests and that of the 43,000 students they serve,” ACE said in its statement.

“Today’s decision gives Clovis educators space to choose their own organization to have a strong and independent voice in CUSD,” the statement said.

Clovis Unified will analyze and consider the changes it is being ordered to comply with before deciding whether to appeal the ruling, The Fresno Bee reported.