FRESNO, Calif. — As Fresno Unified teachers prepare to strike next week, substitute teachers are planning to support them.
The union representing Fresno area substitute teachers voted Thursday not to cross the picket line.
Fresno Unified increased its daily rate for substitutes to $500 in anticipation of the strike. The district sought substitutes from across California in hopes of maintaining operations.
Despite that, substitute teachers voted unanimously Thursday to support the Fresno Teachers Association.
The vote means substitutes are encouraged not to teach, but they will not actually participate in the teacher’s strike.
The vote is the second of the week, following a nearly unanimous vote by Fresno teachers to authorize a strike.
Fresno Unified says the substitute teachers union violated its agreement that it would provide teaching services during the strike
If all remains the same, the state’s third-largest school district will be on strike starting next Wednesday.