Strike talk looms over rally

Hundreds of Chico teachers, along with their supporters, overtook City Plaza and the surrounding sidewalks on Monday (Sept. 13) during a rally in which the educators threatened to strike.

More than 450 people representing or supporting the Chico Unified Teachers Association (CUTA), many of whom donned bright-orange T-shirts, marched around this city block to rally “support of a fair contract settlement” with the Chico Unified School District. Both entities had previously come to an impasse.

The demonstration organized by the union signals the last phase of the negotiation process, known as the “fact-finding” stage.

Meanwhile, CUTA has authorized a vote that would allow its executive board to declare a strike. That type of action could come if no agreement is made by the end of this last stage, and at which time CUSD is legally allowed to impose its “best, last and final offer” to the union.