Fountain Valley : Judge Bans Picketing of School Trustees’ Homes

A judge prohibited teachers from picketing the homes of Fountain Valley school board members Monday, ruling that use of the tactic in a labor dispute violates board officials’ right to privacy under the state Constitution.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Harmon G. Scoville issued a preliminary injunction banning members of the Fountain Valley Education Assn. from picketing on the “street, sidewalk or elsewhere at, near or in the vicinity” of homes of the five board members.

The ruling will not hamper efforts by the association, which has failed to negotiate a new contract with the district since the old agreement expired last July, according to executive director William Bianchi.

“They’re still not going to be rid of us until such time as we have a mutually adopted contract,” Bianchi said. “We’re not going to let them get away with it.”

Assistant Supt. Robert Sampica said the district was “very pleased. The privacy of the board members is very important to us.”

Scoville expanded to a total ban an order issued April 17 that limited pickets to appearances no longer than 30 minutes per week at board members’ homes.

After almost 10 months without progress toward a new contract, the board last month unilaterally imposed new working conditions and a 5.7% increase in teacher pay. The association, contending the action is illegal, filed a complaint of unfair labor practices with the state Public Employees Relations Board. The complaint is pending.

Bianchi said his association had not yet decided whether to appeal Monday’s picketing ban, which it had opposed in court as a violation of its members’ right to free political expression.

Bianchi declined to state what tactics the association may use in the future, but mentioned a recent court case that upheld the right of pickets to demonstrate at the places of business of individual board members.

Before the district increased pay scales, 298 teachers in the district earned between $17,115 and $36,666 annually, depending on experience.