What changes for Sacramento residents: Educators at St. HOPE Public Schools have launched a legal effort to remove the Sacramento City Teachers Association (SCTA) as their union representative. If the petition proceeds, more than 50 teachers across St. HOPE campuses could be asked to vote in a National Labor Relations Board election on whether to decertify the union. The outcome would directly affect labor representation, collective bargaining and school staffing conversations at the three campuses involved.
Who filed the petition and what it seeks
The petition was filed on behalf of St. HOPE educators by Beth Simonton with assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, according to materials from the foundation. The filing asks the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to schedule a decertification election that would allow the unit of teachers to vote on whether SCTA should remain their bargaining representative.
Scope of the petition
The work unit named in the petition includes teachers from the following campuses:
- PS7 Elementary School
- PS7 Middle School
- Sacramento Charter High School
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of teachers in unit | More than 50 |
| Union targeted for decertification | SCTA (affiliate of CTA and NEA) |
Claims and responses
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation characterized the effort as supported by a majority of St. HOPE educators who signed the petition and said the NLRB should approve and schedule an election promptly. The foundation described the move as a chance for teachers to remove SCTA representation.
“SCTA union officials have been extremely divisive and have not had a positive impact on teachers, students, or the St. HOPE community as a whole,”
The quote above is attributed to petition organizer Beth Simonton in the foundation's account. The filing and the foundation's statements say a majority of educators in the unit signed the petition, which under NLRB procedures typically leads to the agency reviewing the petition and, if proper, arranging a decertification election.
Local context and possible consequences
St. HOPE Public Schools operate several campuses in Sacramento and have drawn attention over the years for their role in the city's charter sector. A successful decertification vote would remove SCTA as the teachers' bargaining representative for the specified unit; it would not, by itself, prohibit other union activity or affect teachers at other charter operators.
Union representation affects how teachers negotiate over wages, working conditions and grievance procedures. Any vote and its outcome could influence labor discussions within St. HOPE and potentially prompt similar efforts at other charter schools, depending on organizers and local interest. The petition was filed under federal law administered by the NLRB, which handles certification and decertification elections for many private-sector employees.
Officials from the Sacramento City Teachers Association, the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the National Education Association (NEA) were mentioned in the foundation's account as affiliated organizations; the NEA is led at the national level by Becky Pringle. The NLRB has not yet announced whether it will schedule an election in response to the petition.
Residents and families with students at PS7 Elementary, PS7 Middle School and Sacramento Charter High School may see communications from their schools or from labor organizations if an election is scheduled. The NLRB process includes timelines for campaign activity and a formal ballot vote when requirements are met.
