August 15, 2025 — Clovis Unified School District has informed its staff that it will not interfere with teacher unionization efforts, a change that follows a ruling by the Public Employment Relations Board against the district for anti-union behavior.
The Association of Clovis Educators (ACE) has previously stated that the district had retaliated against staff who even mentioned joining a union. As a result of the board’s order, the district must now cease such interference, stop retaliating against employees involved with the union, and end its relationship with the Clovis Unified Faculty Senate. The district was also ordered to rescind a 2021 email from a former superintendent that was critical of ACE.
ACE Vice President Kristin Heimerdinger said the Faculty Senate, which was created by the district to represent teachers, has since disbanded. Heimerdinger characterized the district’s actions as illegal and said the board’s order is significant because it makes clear to employees that the fear the district instilled in them was unlawful and must stop.
This is not the first time the Public Employment Relations Board has ruled against Clovis Unified. A similar finding was made in 1984, when the board determined that the district had threatened a union organizer and favored the Faculty Senate over another teacher association.
According to Heimerdinger, the district’s anti-union behavior dates back to its founding superintendent, Dr. Floyd Buchanan. She said the district has historically worked to keep teachers from unionizing, despite having a union for classified employees.
Clovis Unified Board Member Clint Olivier has a different perspective. He said that Dr. Buchanan’s vision was responsible for the district’s success and that the ruling has essentially declared the former superintendent’s “wise words” illegal and erased them from history. Olivier expressed outrage at the ruling.
ACE’s goals include securing dedicated prep time for elementary school teachers, capping class sizes, and ensuring fair compensation for teachers’ work. Heimerdinger noted that elementary teachers often lack time to prepare lessons or meet with parents and that high school classrooms can be overcrowded. She stated that teachers often do uncompensated work out of a sense of goodwill toward their students.