The California State University on Monday ended negotiations with a union that represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches and implemented a 5% pay increase. Irate union officials accused CSU of not bargaining in good faith and pushing ahead plans for a systemwide strike the week of Jan. 22.
“CSU management has never taken seriously our proposals for desperately needed equity transformation for CSU students, faculty, and staff, including raising base salary for our lowest-paid, struggling faculty, manageable workloads for more student engagement, more mental health services for students, limits to police power, and humane and adequate parental leave,” said California Faculty Association president Charles Toombs in a statement.
The 5% increase, which will go into effect Jan. 31, is far from the 12% increase the CFA has been seeking for 2023-24.
Union membership in November overwhelmingly authorized the CFA board of directors to call a strike if necessary – 95% of its voting members authrorized a strike, according to the CFA.
In December, it held one-day strikes on four CSU campuses – Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Los Angeles, San Francisco State and Sacramento State, where several hundred CFA members and students marched through nearby streets demanding greater pay and benefits, including more parental leave and additional staff mental health counselors for students.
A strike of faculty and staff beginning Jan. 22 would fall on the third day of spring semester classes at Fresno State and the first day of instruction at Sacramento State.
The CSU said in a statement that the union’s demands were not financially viable and would have necessitated cuts on campuses, including layoffs.
“With this action, we will ensure that well-deserved raises get to our faculty members as soon as possible,” vice chancellor for human resources Leora Freedman said. “We have been in the bargaining process for eight months and the CFA has shown no movement, leaving us no other option. …
“Our overriding responsibility is to manage a systemwide budget in a fiscally sustainable manner. We are committed to paying fair, competitive salaries and benefits for our hard-working faculty members, who are delivering instruction to our students every day and are the cornerstone of our university system. But we must also operate within our means to protect the long-term success and stability of the university, our students and our faculty.”
Union officials pointed to what it called ‘flush’ reserve accounts and said its bargaining team was met with disrespect in contract negotiations Monday, threatening layoffs before walking out of the meeting after just 20 minutes. It had set aside four days this week for re-opener contract negotiations, after the sides had reached an impasse in bargaining.
“Management’s imposition gives us no other option but to continue to move forward with our plan for a systemwide strike in coalition with Teamsters Local 2010 members,” Toombs said. “The systemwide strike on all 23 campuses over Jan. 22-26 will demonstrate to chancellor Mildred Garcia that she must do right by the faculty, staff, and students of the CSU.”
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
