FAQs

Frequently asked questions about ACE.

How can I help us unionize? The first step to support ACE is to sign our union support petition. Please contact us or reach out to one of the ACE organizing committee members to do so. In addition to signing our union support petition, the most important role that one can play is to be part of our ACE organizing committee. […]

Will my dues go to candidates I disagree with? No. Union members can opt-out of having any of their dues going to political candidates. Learn more.

Will we pay Union dues? Yes. Education union members pay dues to support their local, statewide, and national education unions. In fact, dues from existing local unions also help support non-union public-school educators when they decide to unionize. Union dues are typically between $80 to $100 a month. Educators who are first establishing a union — like we are in […]

Do conservative Educators support education Unions? Absolutely. Many successful and dedicated union leaders identify as conservative. Educators from across the political spectrum believe resources should be focused on our classrooms, believe educators should be part of the decision-making process, believe in transparency and democracy. Education unions are not partisan organizations. In fact, many leaders of education unions in the Central […]

What will be our relationship to the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the National Education Association (NEA)? ACE will be composed of educators from all the schools in our district and will be led by Clovis educators elected by our Clovis colleagues. We will democratically make decisions about our goals, mission, and day to day focus. We will be affiliated with CTA (the largest statewide education union in California) and NEA (the […]

Who is eligible to be part of ACE? Our union will consist of “professional, front-line educators,” including classroom teachers, teachers on assignment, counselors, psychologists, education specialists, and other education professionals. It is important to note that staff who can unilaterally hire, fire, or discipline other educators are not legally allowed to be included in the union.

How is the Association of Clovis Educators (ACE) different from the Faculty Senate? Both ACE and the Faculty Senate involve dedicated Clovis educators who are committed to supporting our colleagues, students, and schools. However, there are key structural differences that enable ACE to be more effective at protecting what we love about Clovis and making the improvements that will ensure our educators and students thrive. Real Say in […]

My family has deep roots in Clovis Unified, is unionizing departing from our district’s history? Clovis educators are unionizing because we love our schools, our students, and our community. Many of the educators helping to build ACE went to Clovis schools, sent our kids to Clovis schools, and some even have parents who taught in our district. If anything, unionizing is an effort to return Clovis to the vision and […]

I have a good relationship with my principal. We talk all the time. Will that change when we Unionize? Unionizing will not harm good relationships with administrators at our school sites or at the district level. We all know that good communication and mutual support are critical ingredients for building teamwork and fixing problems. Because of that, a key best practice for resolving conflicts when you have a union contract is to first try […]

Can we get in trouble for Unionizing? It is not legal to discriminate against educators who are participating in unionizing their schools. Participating in or supporting ACE is legally protected activity. The Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA) is very clear about our rights. Most administrators understand this and know that administration will get in trouble if they violate the law. In the […]