CHICO, Calif. -- A strike may be on the horizon if teachers are unable to reach a deal with the school district in Chico.

Voting is underway by members of the Chico Unified Teachers Association on a measure that would authorize union leadership to call for a strike if a new collective bargaining agreement cannot be reached.

A strike can’t be called, however, until a State fact-finder issues a report after meeting with representatives from both sides.

Union president John Jenswold says the union has an offer on the table that would get the district through the year and that a long term solution should be pursued after future state funding levels are known.

“What we are helpful on is that we can sit down and talk this through and work out something that will not necessarily be long term but that will get us through step by step,” said Jenswold.

But district officials say a short term solution merely pushes the problem down the road.

“The proposal from the district solves the ongoing problem. The question is how quickly how much of the ongoing problem do we need to solve right now and that’s a question for discussion,” said Assistant Superintendent Jan Combes.

Representatives from the union and district are scheduled to sit down with State labor mediators for the fact-finding meeting on Monday.