EDUCATION
What are the agreements reached by California State University faculty to end the strike?
Professors, staff and students were all facing a week-long strike, but then came a deal that, at least for the moment, has halted any further action.
Over 450,000 students across 23 campuses were in the firing line but it appears to have been avoided. The California Faculty Association, representing 29,000 professors and staff at the California State University (CSU), reached a tentative agreement on Monday night to halt a five-day strike after just one day. The strike, initiated in the first week of the semester, had cast uncertainty over the academic environment.
How was the Cal State strike averted?
Negotiations between the California Faculty Association and the CSU began in May, and the strike was a culmination of their efforts to secure a new contract. The tentative agreement, now subject to ratification by the staff, brings about several key changes.
The centerpiece of the deal is a 5% general salary increase for all faculty, retroactively effective from July 2023. Additionally, there will be an additional 5% salary bump for all faculty members, starting this July. This move aims to address concerns about fair compensation and acknowledges the valuable contributions of the university’s faculty.
In a move to uplift the university’s lowest-paid faculty, the agreement raises the salary floor. This measure is expected to have a positive impact on the economic well-being of the university’s academic workforce. Furthermore, the negotiated deal extends paid parental leave from six weeks to 10 weeks, demonstrating a commitment to supporting work-life balance for faculty members.
It’s worth noting that another potential strike was averted on Friday when the Teamsters Local 2010, representing 1,100 skilled trade workers on 22 campuses, reached a deal with the CSU.
Contract to be ratified by vote
Following the tentative agreement, staff are set to return to work on Tuesday. However, the finalization of the contract will depend on a ratification vote in the coming weeks. The union expressed optimism about the proposed terms, believing that they strike a balance between fairly compensating faculty and ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the CSU system.
“The agreement enables the CSU to fairly compensate its valued, world-class faculty while protecting the university system’s long-term financial sustainability.”
Striking habits in California
The strike at CSU comes after the University of California system experienced its own challenges with a five-week strike by academic workers at the end of 2022. These incidents reflect a broader resurgence of organized labor activism in California. Notably, last year, Los Angeles Unified School District workers staged a three-day strike before reaching a contract settlement, and Hollywood writers and actors engaged in lengthy walkouts.