On December 19, over 60 SEIU 1021 members at Vacaville Unified School District attended the VUSD School Board meeting in a final effort to demand the board address the critical issues affecting workers and students. This fight has dragged on for months with little movement from the district. Last week, they voted by 90% to authorize a strike.

“SEIU 1021 classified professional employees made history with this resounding strike vote authorization, making it clear to the district that enough is enough,” said SEIU 1021 VUSD Chapter President Barbra Hamilton, who has worked for the district for 20 years.

Currently, VUSD classified employees face understaffing, unsafe classrooms, and the threat of massive cuts to healthcare that would harm future classified employees with families and likely deter future applicants from applying—fueling already high turnover. 

Classified employees, including paraprofessionals, nutrition workers, student supervision workers, custodians, clerical workers, bus drivers, and maintenance workers, provide invaluable support to Vacaville’s students. They ensure safe transportation to and from school, hot meals, clean campuses, critical classroom assistance, and more, and without them, classes would grind to a halt. They reminded the board of this fact on Thursday evening.

“Our members are ready to take our district back and focus our time and love on our students, which is why we are here. Our concerns about our students’ and coworkers’ welfare have gone unheard for far too long, and instead, we have been met with bullying, disrespect, and threats from administrators at the main office. We don’t want to strike, but we are ready to do what we must to protect our students and fellow members,” Hamilton continued.

While members are committed to keeping schools safe and running smoothly for Vacaville students, mounting frustration at a district that has proven itself unwilling to listen to ongoing concerns around safety concerns and harmful cuts to medical benefits while continuing to violate state labor law has pushed them to take more drastic action.

Check out the latest media coverage of the ongoing fight with VUSD in the Vacaville Reporter.