A California Teachers’ Union is moving toward a strike as the school district refuses to meet their demands, which include free yoga and letting the homeless live on school property, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
The Fresno Teacher Association is demanding the Fresno Unified School District allow homeless families to park their cars in high school parking lots and to provide paid security in the lots, which they say will cost $500,000, according to a contract proposal obtained by the Free Beacon. The union is also pressuring the district to provide free yoga and meditation programs, which they project will cost $1 million, part of which includes reimbursing union members up to $1,000 a year if they consistently do things like attend a dojo or do yoga for at least 100 days.
Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Bob Nelson did not appear open to letting the homeless sleep on school property, saying that “it’s not our area of expertise,” EdSource reported. The demands for free yoga and homeless people living on school property were listed under the “social/emotional supports and safety” section of the proposed contract.
Areas surrounding homeless encampments can produce large amounts of hazardous waste. An encampment that Los Angeles cleared in 2021 had 180 pounds of feces and 30 pounds of needles documented among the debris, according to CBS News.
Fresno stands in solidarity with @SacTeachers & @seiu1021. Sacramento educators are on strike after @officialSCUSD refused to address key issues related to student needs and staffing, including recommendations made by a neutral fact-finder. #SCTA4Students #SacCitySolidarity pic.twitter.com/pK98XwsUWk
— Fresno Teachers! (@fresnota) March 23, 2022
Teachers’ unions demanding things that go beyond the scope of traditional union issues has become a national trend, Vox reports. The Oakland Education Association, a teachers’ union, asked for reparations for black students and an expanded “environmental justice curriculum” in December, according to the Free Beacon. (RELATED: Portland Teachers Prepare To Strike If District Refuses Subsidized Housing For Students)
In addition to $1.5 million for allowing homeless encampments and free yoga, the district is also pushing for “expanded cultural awareness lessons in all schools starting in PreK.” If the union and the district cannot agree on a compromise teachers may strike, with the union expected to vote on picketing on Oct. 18, according to the Fresno Bee.
The Fresno Teacher Association did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. The DCNF also contacted local parent-teacher associations for comment on the proposed contract.
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