How does a union form?

In order for a union to form in our district it comes from certificated teaching staff.

A union can collect enough authorization cards from you and your coworkers.  It will need to collect cards from over 50% of the designated group of employees (called a bargaining unit) to automatically become your collective bargaining representative.

It can also happen by a vote.  In order for a vote to happen, the union will have to collect authorization cards from at least 30% of the bargaining unit. Then the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) would hold an election. In order for the union to win the election, more than 50% of the employees who vote would have to vote in favor of unionization.  If that happened, you would be represented by the union.

Some of you may be hearing about this for the first time and that was by design. Our pro union colleagues have been building support as early as last summer and the vote is happening now. By signing their petition you are essentially voting to unionize. The basis of how this union has formed is counter intuitive to what unions stand for. Unions are supposed to be all inclusive and transparent representing all teachers.


The big topic with most unions is compensation. Some of the numbers being shared by our pro union colleagues with regard to compensation are misleading when comparing our district to other like districts. At a minimum they are being selective and not telling the full story.  We have done our research and provided links to all the places we found our information. Transparency is key, especially when deciding if a fundamental change to our school district is warranted. Especially, if that change will negatively impact the relationship with our community, colleagues and students. There are many more items to consider than a paycheck and that information is here for you to consider.  

“A FUSD teacher makes on average $10,000-$15,000 more than a Clovis Unified teacher”

The Reality is the average CUSD salary is 73,853 and FUSD is 81,653 that is a difference of 7,800. When comparing salaries apples to apples we do make less but that does not tell the whole story. We attached the salary schedules for neighboring districts for you to look at and did a monthly take home comparison that takes into account benefits and union dues. The margin in take home pay is minimal when considering the adversarial and antagonistic changes a union would bring to our culture. 

Not to mention the discrepancy between the districts and funding we receive from the government.

The reality is the district could pay us more but that money will come from somewhere. We have no copay at Micare which is essentially an urgent care dedicated to Clovis teachers. Minimal waits, early labs and no coinsurance are just a few of the benefits. Union districts have no specific urgent care for unionized employees. Their co-pays are similar to ours but the big difference is the 10-30 percent of coinsurance. A major medical event, a birth or surgery for example, becomes a significant out of pocket expense. Union districts also must add in vision and dental to their plans drastically changing their price per month. Not to mention how would more pay for teachers affect our students experience? Paying each teacher and extra 10,000-15,000 a year would equal between 18.5- 27.75 million dollars a year.

“The difference between health benefits is negligible and not a reason the district cant pay us more”

“Our superintendent ranks 3 out of 22 of like districts for salary.”

What is a like district? Does that mean funding or size? Our current superintendent has not taken a pay raise making her the lowest paid female superintendent we have had. We compared districts with over 25,000 students and our superintendent is 30th out of 30. 

Clovis ranks 58th in superintendent salary of the largest 58 districts in state. #59 is Madera with 19K students.

Our superintendents pay, plain and simple is not an issue that should be considered when you see these comparisons.

What a Union will do to our District

It is all about the contract. Engaging in collective bargaining may result in a larger paycheck but that’s not all that may change. Our benefits will change and possibly the loss of our miCare center. Look at the health benefits comparison, is it worth a few hundred dollars a month to give up our health benefits? Stipends may change for athletics, special programs or educational experiences.

As a teacher you have more autonomy than you realize not having a union. With a union, it’s all for one and one for all. Whatever the small group “representing us” fights for during bargaining is what we all get. There are many teachers that wanted to come back to school, would a union fight for that?  Over half of our certificated teachers are elementary teachers. How can a union effectively represent both elementary and secondary voices?

How will the community receive this move to unionize? It will put us at odds with the very people who pay our salaries. This will fundamentally change the fabric that not only our district was built on but Clovis as a whole.

As long as your values and beliefs align with the union you will be protected. If they do not, you will no longer receive the protection you pay for. What will you do when you are asked to go on strike for a small pay increase? How long will you put your families at risk of not bringing home a paycheck? How long are you willing to let your students be with a substitute? 

The era of the COVID-19 pandemic is a black swan event. No district handled this perfectly. Let’s remember back in 2008, when teachers in other districts were getting pink slips, Clovis Unified found a way to keep everyone!

You do not have to join the union. Faculty Senate will remain as our representative body.

Where does your money go?

Local Union
State Union
National Union

This equates to $93 for CTA and NEA and $27 to the local union.  What are you getting from your monthly dues? Have you ever needed legal protection?

It’s also worth noting that 93% of all political donations went to democratic candidates and causes.

CTA Executive Salaries

Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Net Assets
NameTitleHours Per WeekTotal Salary
David A SouzaMANAGER40$418,791
David B GoldbergVICE PRESIDENT40$222,054
Eric C HeinsPRESIDENT (TO 6/25/19)40$217,976
Theresa MontanoVICE PRESIDENT (TO 6/25/19)40$202,843
Curtis L WashingtonFORMER DIRECTOR0$96,672
Elana M DavidsonFORMER DIRECTOR0$94,138
Billie FreemanDIRECTOR40$74,726
Susan GreenDIRECTOR (TO 6/25/19)40$46,588
Jerold EatonDIRECTOR40$44,482
Barbara DawsonDIRECTOR40$44,223
Ernest T BoydPRESIDENT (FROM 6/26/19)40$43,517
Gregory E BonaccorsiDIRECTOR40$43,359
Gayle L BilekDIRECTOR40$43,058
Roberto RodriguezDIRECTOR40$42,102
Mike PattersonDIRECTOR40$42,086
Leslie LittmanTREASURER (FROM 6/26/19)40$40,909
Jesse AguilarDIRECTOR40$40,909
Sergio MartinezDIRECTOR40$40,284
Terri L JacksonDIRECTOR (TO 6/25/19)40$40,284
Margaret GranadoDIRECTOR40$40,284
Jose J AlcalaDIRECTOR (TO 6/25/19)40$40,154
Erika L JonesDIRECTOR40$38,635
Evangelina RuizDIRECTOR40$36,353
Kendall VaughtFORMER DIRECTOR0$35,643
Joseph BartellDIRECTOR40$33,493
Robert EllisDIRECTOR40$31,006
Melanie HouseDIRECTOR40$30,630
Robert V RodriguezFORMER DIRECTOR0$12,783