Topline:
California State University faculty, including counselors, librarians, and coaches voted Monday to authorize a strike. With more than 95% of members in support, the California Faculty Association announced the union would strike if necessary.
What the union wants: To start: A 12% raise this fiscal year. The university is offering a 5% pay bump, after CFA rejected a raise of 12% over three years. Other union demands include more counselors for students; gender-inclusive restrooms and changing rooms; and increasing paid parental leave from 30 days to one semester. “Our aspirational contract demands insist that our students deserve better, that our faculty deserve better,” said CFA treasurer and Fresno State librarian Vang Vang in a statement.
What the university says: In a statement in August, the university system said CFA’s demands for just the current fiscal year would total nearly $400 million: “Agreeing to a 12% General Salary Increase in this fiscal year would force the CSU to make difficult and painful decisions about how to reallocate its already limited financial resources.”
And there’s another strike authorized: Teamsters Local 2010, which represents 1,100 skilled trades workers across CSU, also authorized a strike with the support of 94% of voting members. The union says its top priority is a salary step schedule.
