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Education Dec 20, 2023
Cal State Los Angeles. | Photo by Kaya CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED
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Two labor unions representing faculty and other higher education workers Wednesday announced a week-long strike across all California State University campuses in late January.
Teamsters Local 2010, which represents more than 17,000 clerical, administrative and skilled trade workers in the UC and CSU systems, called for the strike following what they say was the CSU system’s “repeated refusal to bargain in good faith and treat workers with respect.”
“Teamsters members do the essential work that keeps the (CSUs) running, yet CSU continues to show no appreciation or respect to workers. We are standing strong in our union and our alliance with faculty, and we will remain united until the CSU bargains in good faith for the fair contracts we deserve,” Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010 Jason Rabinowitz said in a statement.
Cal State officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to Rabinowitz, the union has tried for months to reach an agreement on a contract that improves “stagnant wages and ensures fair treatment.”
In late January, more than 1,110 CSU skilled trades workers are expected to strike at all Teamsters-represented campuses, and at the Office of the Chancellor.
The union is demanding a salary step system to resolve what it called decades of wage stagnation for skilled trade workers.
Approximately 82% of CSU skilled trade workers earn below the median of their salary ranges, even after decades of service, the union said, adding that CSU pay lags compared to UC skilled trade workers by 23.6% on average.
The union alleges that in recent months the CSU has committed unfair labor practices, such as interfering with workers’ rights to engage in union activities and threatening retaliation for participating in a strike action.
The strike is planned for Jan. 22-26 across the CSU system, coinciding with the beginning of the spring semester.
The California Faculty Association, representing more than 29,000 faculty, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches, announced Wednesday afternoon that its members will also strike on those days for a “better, more just CSU.”
According to the CFA, CSU management has rejected their calls for 12% wage hikes this academic year plus other concessions, including better parental leave, workload support and health and safety rights.
The CFA held multiple one-day strikes in November for similar reasons.
CSU officials previously said that while they are prepared to agree to many of the CFA’s demands contained in a neutral fact-finder report, a 12% general salary increase is not sustainable for the university system.
“CSU strives to provide fair, competitive pay and benefits for all of our employees,” Leora Freedman, CSU’s vice chancellor for human resources, said in a statement. “We recognize the need to increase compensation and are committed to doing so, but our financial commitments must be fiscally sustainable.”
As for CFA’s one-day strikes, Freedman indicated that such actions are often part of negotiations.
“We respect the right of our labor unions to engage in strike activities, and we are prepared to minimize any disruptions to our campuses,” she said then. “Our hope is that the planned strike activities pose no hardships on our students and that we can get back to the bargaining table as soon as possible with the CFA to come to an agreement.”
The strikes are not a certainty, however, as both unions are taking part in talks this week.
Teamsters officials said their bargaining team is engaging in “fact- finding” with the CSU and a state-appointed arbitrator for about three days this week, while the CFA bargaining team has also returned to the table to discuss proposals.
