LONG BEACH, Calif.—The Long Beach-based California State University (CSU) announced Jan. 9 it will give all faculty, librarians, counselors, and coaches a salary increase of 5 percent, a move university officials said will conclude contract negotiations with the employees’ union.
According to the CSU, the decision to impose the 5 percent pay increases was made after the latest round of negotiations with the California Faculty Association (CFA) “failed to yield an agreement that would provide faculty salary increases while still allowing the CSU to best serve students within the limits of its resources.”
“Throughout the bargaining process, the CFA never veered from its initial salary demand, which was not financially viable and would have resulted in massive cuts to campuses—including layoffs—that would have jeopardized the CSU’s educational mission,” according to a statement from the university.
In response, union President Charles Toombs issued a statement saying that CSU management showed “nothing but disdain” for its faculty.
“The CFA Bargaining Team reserved four days for re-opener contract negotiations this week, making every effort to bargain in good faith and explore the space for a negotiated solution before a systemwide strike Jan. 22 to 26,” Mr. Toombs said.
“CFA members delivered four proposals Monday, but were met with disrespect from management today. After 20 minutes, the CSU management bargaining team threatened systemwide layoffs, walked out of bargaining, canceled all remaining negotiations, then imposed a last, best and final offer on CFA members.”
Mr. Toombs added that CSU 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.
“The systemwide strike on all 23 campuses over Jan. 22 to 26 will demonstrate to Chancellor Mildred Garcia that she must do right by the faculty, staff, and students of the CSU,” he said.
In addition to the general salary increase, CSU officials said they will be increasing pay for department chairs and allowing for modest parking fee increases.
“With this action, we will ensure that well-deserved raises get to our faculty members as soon as possible,” Leora Freedman, CSU’s vice chancellor for human resources, said in a statement. “We have been in the bargaining process for eight months and the CFA has shown no movement, leaving us no other option.”
The 5 percent salary increase is consistent with agreements the CSU has already reached with five of its other labor unions, according to the university.
“Our overriding responsibility is to manage a systemwide budget in a fiscally sustainable manner,” Ms. Freedman said. “We are committed to paying fair, competitive salaries and benefits for our hard-working faculty members, ... But we must also operate within our means to protect the long-term success and stability of the university, our students and our faculty.”
The university said that absent a change in bargaining position by the union, the pay raise announcement concludes bargaining on the contract re-opener.
“CSU and CFA can now begin successor bargaining on the full contract,” according to the CSU, which said it “remains committed to the collective bargaining process.”
Last month, CSU Teamsters, which represents about 1,000 plumbers, electricians and other skilled trades workers systemwide, called for a strike.
