Teachers’ Union Calls One-Day Strike

By Anna Pier

Sonoma Valley Unified School District Superintendent Jeanette Rodriguez-Chien notified parents at noon today, January 14, that Valley of the Moon Teachers Association (VMTA) will be going on a one-day strike on Thursday, January 16. The District plans to keep the schools open, drawing on support from classified staff, substitute teachers, administrators, community partners and Sonoma County Office of Education staff to supervise the students.

The superintendent described the strike as “unpermitted.” She stated that the District has been meeting with the teachers, and “we are still actively open to meet and finalize negotiations on behalf of students.” Both the District and the union have filed Unfair Labor Practices complaints with the Public Employees Relations Board. VMTA also has filed for Fact Finding, for both the District and VMTA to present their sides to an outside party, to get their perspective, while waiting to hear about their complaints from PERB.

Dennis Housman, Co-President of VMTA, stated that the strike is in protest of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees refusal to vote on the tentative agreement signed on October 1, 2024. He added that “VMTA’s standing up for our students, our educators, and the legal bargaining process sends a powerful message that Districts across our county will hear; they must bargain in good faith with our union.”  Housman added, “VMTA invites our district families and community allies to JOIN US on the picket line this Thursday @ 5:30pm at the district office before the school board meeting. Let the district leadership know that unfair labor practices in this valley WILL NOT be tolerated.”

The evening of January 13 the District sent out a notice of a Special Board of Trustees meeting for 7 PM Tuesday, January 14. The entire Agenda is a closed session on labor negotiations, with representatives of the negotiating parties for the District and VMTA. Housman explained that the Special Board Meeting was called after VMTA notified the District that evening of their intention to strike. He added, “We hope at this special board meeting that they vote to ratify the October 1st tentative agreement that the District staff and VMTA bargaining chair signed. The negotiations have been going on for a year, and teachers have been working since August without a contract.

At  2:30 today, January 14, the District sent out notice of another Special Board Meeting on Wednesday, January 15 at 2:30 PM. The Agenda for this one includes Closed Session with Labor Negotiators, and other open session items. Both special meetings are to be held at the District office on Railroad Avenue.