Members of the SCCCD faculty union have voted to authorize a strike amid stalled contract negotiations, the State Center Federation of Teachers said Friday.
ERIC PAUL ZAMORA
ezamora@fresnobee.com
Nine months after issuing a no-confidence vote in the chancellor, the State Center Community College District faculty union has authorized a strike for the first time in its history.
The State Center Federation of Teachers held a vote from Tuesday to Thursday on whether they should strike. In a press release Friday, SCFT president Keith Ford said the survey had a member response rate of about 80%, and 97% of respondents voting to authorize a strike.
Ford said the move is significant because it marks the first time in the union’s 60-year history that its membership has approved a strike.
The SCFT says the decision comes after about 20 months of contract negotiations. The union’s concerns include pay disparities, dual enrollment and instructors’ lab hours being compensated equally to lecture hours.
Ford accuses the district of not making adequate offers at the bargaining table. The next mediation day is scheduled for Wednesday.
“The district’s failure to invest in instruction and student support services is in direct contradiction to their self-proclaimed goal of providing competitive compensation for all employees. This contradiction directly and negatively impacts our students’ success,” Ford said in the union’s statement Friday.
The union says it represents about 2,100 faculty members across the four SCCCD campuses in Fresno, Clovis, Madera and Reedley. It did not indicate when the strike would occur.
SCCCD spokesperson Diana Ramirez said the district is aware of the vote.
“Votes of this nature are not unusual during bargaining and do not have any formal effect on District operations or leadership. We respect employees’ right to express their views and remain committed to bargaining in good faith,” Ramirez said.
The district’s statement echoes a response to the union’s no-confidence vote in chancellor Carole Goldsmith.
In November, 250 union members convened to unanimously cast a vote of no confidence in Goldsmith.
Hours before the development, Goldsmith announced her retirement, which she said had nothing to do with the union’s impending vote of no confidence. Goldsmith said she would serve out the remainder of her term before exiting in September, though the union wanted her out immediately.
Goldsmith also dismissed the move as having no impact on the district.
“Votes of no confidence during bargaining are not uncommon, they are symbolic, nonbinding, and have no governance effect on the district or its leadership,” Goldsmith told The Bee in November. “This action does not change district operations, nor does it reflect the reality of our organization.”
This story was originally published August 28, 2026 at 12:34 PM.
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Nick Fenley is a reporter covering education, lawsuits, breaking news and more for The Fresno Bee. He’s originally from the Imperial Valley and joined The Bee in 2025.