Clovis Unified teachers file union petition; may end 66 years of ‘union-free’ status

A group that collected signatures from more than 1,000 teachers in the Clovis Unified School District has filed a union petition with California’s Public Employment Relations Board, marking a significant step toward ending the 66-year “union-free” history of the state’s 11th-largest school district.

Independent Clovis Unified Educators (ICUE), one of the two major groups that have been vying to unionize Clovis teachers in the last five years, announced on Thursday that it has successfully gathered 50% plus one signature from teachers and has filed a Petition for Recognition as the exclusive representative for the district’s full-time certificated teachers.

“I think it’s definitely clear that our teachers want representation and to have official representation, because then we can do things like make sure our benefits are competitive and every issue that we’re able to help them with,” said Erin Dieterle Garcia, a teacher who represents ICUE.

To be recognized as the exclusive representative of teachers, ICUE still faces one final challenge. After PERB verifies the signatures and certifies the petition, groups with proof of support from 30% of teachers, such as ICUE’s major competitor, the Association of Clovis Educators (ACE), will have the opportunity to submit an intervention petition, thus forcing an election for teachers to vote between the two unions, or for no union representation.

During the signature-gathering process, teachers may endorse both groups. Signing is confidential, and it does not commit signers to pay dues, according to a post by ICUE.

“We encourage people to support ICUE, and when the election comes, we hope that people don’t think that there’s no need to vote because they already signed,” said Tony Silva, labor representative for ICUE. “There’s still definitely a need to vote when the time comes. If there’s an election, we should be named the exclusive representative.”

In a statement to The Bee, ACE said it intends to file an intervention petition because educators are allowed to sign petitions for more than one organization. The real opportunity for educators to make a final, informed decision comes at the election itself, where every educator can cast only one vote after hearing from all sides. ACE believes the election process will best serve educators in this district, the statement wrote.

“ACE will be petitioning for an inclusive union of all certificated educators, while ICUE has petitioned only for teachers,” the statement said. “CUSD educators deserve the right to freely choose who represents them at the bargaining table.”

Clovis Unified’s anti-union culture

For decades, Clovis Unified has lagged behind most other school districts in forming a teachers’ union, due to a deeply entrenched anti-union culture that has existed since the tenure of the founding superintendent, Floyd Buchanan, according to teachers who put in years of unionization effort. With more than 2,000 teachers serving roughly 43,300 students, Clovis Unified has long been considered the largest non-unionized school district west of the Mississippi River.

Over the years, the district used to have a teachers’ group, called the Faculty Senate, to represent teachers when they communicated certain matters with the district. But the group was not a formal union and could not bargain or negotiate for employee benefits.

In June 2024, the Faculty Senate was dissolved after a PERB ruling that said Clovis Unified had violated its neutrality by providing unlawful support to the organization and deterring employees’ free choice in joining unions, such as ACE, among other infractions.

The district used to pay $300,000 or more annually to support the Faculty Senate, according to ICUE.

Kelly Avants, the district’s spokesperson, said Thursday evening that she was unable to verify this number immediately because district employees work four days a week, ten hours a day during summer break.

Avants confirmed with The Bee that Clovis Unified has been formally notified of ICUE’s petition, and said the district respects the right of employees to make a choice about how they are represented.

“As ICUE and PERB navigate the process to validate this petition, our commitment remains to our people, and the value and respect we have for their critical role in the success of our students,” Avants said in an emailed statement.

Recent unionization efforts

In recent years, the competition to unionize Clovis teachers is mainly between ICUE and ACE.

Established in April 2021, ACE is affiliated with the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union. ACE has successfully organized several small unions among district employees, including school psychologists and American Sign Language interpreters. The latter union has just reached a settlement after two years of negotiating with the school district for its first collective bargaining contract, according to ACE.

“We don’t have any idea what the future holds regarding negotiations. Right now, we’re just focused on becoming the exclusive representative,” said Silva, ICUE’s labor representative, when asked about future bargaining challenges.

ICUE differentiates itself from ACE by committing to preserve the district legacy through local, independent teacher representation, according to its website. The union’s bylaws guarantee that it will not support any political groups.

“We’re proving to people what we’re able to do for teachers, and we’re doing it the right way,” Garcia said. “I think a lot of Clovis teachers just want someone who’s in their corner, who also is true to Clovis Unified’s values, and it’s very clear that’s what we do.”

Garcia said ICUE is operated by teacher volunteers, and it works with a local firm, which makes lower member dues possible. The group proposed monthly dues of $39, which is less than half of the monthly dues for ACE members, she said.

“For the most part, our teachers are very happy to work in Clovis Unified. I think a lot of people are proud to be here, but we’re also realistic,” Garcia said. “We are common-sense solutions to real problems that we have, and I don’t think there’s like a big bad wolf anywhere in our district. We just know that we can help our teachers better than any other group.”

This story was originally published July 31, 2026 at 8:26 PM.