Fresno Unified School District's policy is that immigration enforcement is not allowed on campuses unless forced through a valid court order. Photo by MChe Lee on unsplash.com

Fresno Unified School District is responding Thursday to a second labor threat as a Fresno Teachers Association strike looms Nov. 1. 

Service Employees International Union 521 announced that its Fresno Area Substitute Teachers Association (FASTA) had approved a pledge to not cross potential picket lines to fill in for teachers on strike should last-ditch negotiations fail.

“Rather than addressing the severe and very real obstacles hurting students in our classrooms, the District is attempting to pin workers against each other and using intimidation tactics to break a potential strike,” stated Esther Rojas-Jasso, substitute teacher and FASTA president. “We urge the District to immediately end its Unfair Labor Practices and reach a fair agreement.”

Fresno Unified responded by filing an injunction and unfair practice charge against FASTA, citing bad-faith bargaining and a violation of a signed contract with the district.

“FASTA negotiated with Fresno Unified earlier this year to support our students and schools in the event of an impended teacher strike by FTA. Those negotiations included agreeing upon the $500 per day pay for substitutes during an active teacher strike,” according to a Fresno Unified news release, which also said less than 2% of FASTA members appeared for an in-person vote to not cross FTA picket lines.

A message seeking response from an SEIU spokesperson was not returned Thursday.

“Fresno Unified is deeply disappointed by this weak showing of FASTA’s leadership bending to the larger will of SEIU non-local leadership,” the press release adds. “Fresno Unified is extremely confident that this so-called vote by less than 2% of FASTA’s membership DOES NOT represent the intentions and integrity of the more than 2,000 substitutes ready to serve our Fresno Unified schools in the event of a teacher strike next week.”