Labor Board Opens Probe of Orange Teachers’ Strike

The state labor board will investigate whether the Orange Unified Educators Assn. engaged in unfair labor practices when 900 of its members staged a one-day strike last April, a school district official said Friday.

The district filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board last spring, alleging that the teachers union failed to bargain in good faith and engaged in unfair labor practices.

The state is now investigating that complaint, school board Vice President Linda Davis said. A ruling is expected later this year.

“It was an unnecessary job action, and it was unfair to teachers and students,” Davis said. “The whole thing was a union ploy to keep the community upset with the school board.”

Union leaders downplayed the news, saying the state agency is legally required to investigate complaints. “The district files unfair labor practices at the drop of a hat,” said Paul Pruss, acting president of the teachers association, adding that the teachers had a right to strike.

Friday’s announcement was the latest in a series of acrimonious charges and countercharges between the union and the school board stemming from a long-running salary dispute in the 30,000-student district, which serves Orange and parts of Villa Park, Anaheim, Santa Ana and Garden Grove.

On Thursday, Orange Unified’s board accepted the county registrar’s certification of a recall campaign against trustees Davis, Martin Jacobson and Maureen Aschoff.