Coalinga-Huron teachers say they are willing to strike if the district doesn’t raise salaries and come forward with a plan to retain more teachers.

“The educators of Coalinga-Huron have spoken,” said Jessica Cardenas, president of the Coalinga-Huron Unified Teachers Association, in a news release on Tuesday. “Over 96% of the members who voted say they are willing to strike. We won’t be fooled by (the district’s) desire to divide our community and claim they cannot afford to pay teachers a cost-of-living increase.”

Union leaders and Coalinga-Huron Unified School District officials are scheduled to take part in a fact-finding hearing on Friday. Teachers say they will picket outside of the hearing.

“If we do not settle a fair agreement, we will have a mass exodus of CHUSD educators to districts in surrounding towns,” Cardenas predicted. “We know what this would do to our schools and communities. If CHUSD will not prioritize students, then we must take up the fight on their behalf.”

On its website, the district states, “We believe our staff are our most valuable assets and we have a goal to attract, retain, and grow excellent people.”