Safety plans in place if Fresno Unified teachers go on strike

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Staying prepared is top of mind for Fresno community leaders and Fresno police after the Fresno Teachers Association authorized the first potential strike in 45 years.

"We have been working very closely not just with the school district but also with the union to make sure that we can provide a safe environment for everyone," said Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama.

Both Fresno Unified and FTA have been negotiating for months, over class sizes, special education caseloads, health benefits, and salary.

If a strike does happen, Balderrama says the department does have plans in place for safety.

"As far as our campus police officers or student resource officers, We have 33 of them, and we're actually pulling some from other schools to make sure that we have adequate coverage here in the Fresno Unified School District," said Balderrama.

While they only expect peaceful protests with signs and chants, the district is also hiring more protection.

"We've also contracted with additional outside vendors, security companies who are going to provide some additional security," said Nikki Henry, Chief communications officer with the Fresno Unified School district.

Henry added that nearly all district personnel will be on campuses to help wherever needed.

"In addition to all of the plans that we have and the hands on deck, you're going to have additional management folks on those sites to just be an extra set of hands for supervision and to be there for our kids," said Henry.

Fresno city leaders tell Action News they hope a deal is reached before the strike deadline on November 1st.

"We want to make sure that we're urging both sides to come to the table and really hammer out a deal -- a deal that's fair for our teachers, that's fair for our kids," said Fresno city councilmember, Luiz Chavez.

"It's very unfortunate that we've gotten to this point. It's all of our hopes that there will be a last-ditch effort, a hail mary, that somehow they will come together before the first so that we can avoid a strike," said Fresno Mayor, Jerry Dyer.

If a strike happens High school fall sports will continue, FUSD says all games during the first week of the strike are scheduled as away games.

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