Teachers in California’s Blochman District oust CTA

The teachers of the Blochman Union School District in Santa Maria, Calif., disgusted with the California Teachers Association’s (CTA) politics, outrageous dues and poor service, sent the union an unmistakable message by voting to replace their old, CTA/NEA-affiliated union with the Blochman Teachers Group — a new independent, local union created by the teachers themselves with Freedom Foundation assistance.  

The teachers who submitted mail-in ballots in the election administered by the California Public Employment Relations Board voted unanimously for their new association, in defiance of CTA’s attempts to block their petition.  

The effort began seven months ago when a Blochman teacher approached the Freedom Foundation for assistance navigating the process of changing unions. State laws in California and most other states make it easy for a workplace to be unionized the first time, and this initial certification gives the new union immense power over employees, their pay, and workplace conditions indefinitely.

Once representation is established, however, changing or ridding the workplace of its current union requires a state administrative process that can require special navigation.    

Many teachers’ unions in California and throughout the country were established between the 1960s and 1980s. This means most teachers unions in the U.S. have existed unchecked and unchallenged for 40, 50, maybe even 60 years, collecting dues from multiple generations of teachers with nobody holding them accountable for their performance.  

But state law does provide a mechanism for employees to change or get rid of their unions. The procedure differs slightly from state to state, but in California if at least 30 percent of the employees in a workplace petition the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) within a specific 29-day “window period,” the board will hold an election in which the employees will vote on whether to keep, change, or get rid of their union.  

Because the process involves a legal proceeding before a state agency and may involve opposition from the incumbent union, it can be a little tricky for non-lawyers to navigate. In Blochman, for instance, CTA initially attempted to get the teachers’ petition dismissed. But with help from Freedom Foundation attorneys, the Blochman teachers politely stood their ground, defeated the CTA’s frivolous objection and democracy eventually won the day.  

“The process seemed intimidating at first, but the Freedom Foundation team helped everything run smoothly,” said Blochman teacher Holly DeKorte. “The Blochman Teachers Group is a brand new, unique independent union. We have a strong relationship with the administration and each other. Being able to work together to represent the school’s best interest has always been our aim. We couldn’t have done it without the help and support of the Freedom Foundation.”

DeKorte will serve as president of the newly formed union and is proud it will be able to provide better representation for its teachers without charging any union dues. The teachers paid $1,200 per year to their former CTA-affiliated union.  

Many states would benefit from policy changes that give public employees more control over their workplace representation. This effort is further proof that even states like California can offer public employees a pathway to independence from an unwanted union.  

The Freedom Foundation has the expertise and resources to help public employees successfully navigate the process of changing or decertifying a union and is actively working with employee groups around the country to replace their unaccountable unions with local, independent alternatives.