CSU faculty rumble toward strike vote

Faculty members at all 23 California State University campuses will vote Monday morning on whether to strike.

The Strike Authorization Vote will begin online and in-person for the approximate 25,000 California Faculty Association members at 9 a.m. and will continue through Oct. 28 at 5 p.m.

The strike authorization vote comes after a second mediation with CSU management on Oct. 8 produced no results.

The CFA is committed to receiving a five percent general salary increase for all association members and a 2.65 percent service salary increase for eligible faculty. CSU management has instead offered a 2 percent salary increase, according to the CFA.

“After years of stagnant faculty wages, the faculty on our public university campuses are angry and we are ready for this strike vote. We all know that the Chancellor’s 2 percent is simply not enough to make teaching in the CSU sustainable,” CFA President Jennifer Eagan said in a statement.

The times for in-person voting will vary from campus to campus.

In addition to the voting, events and rallies are scheduled on Monday throughout many campuses.

In the Bay Area, four of the region’s CSU’s will also hold events.

At 7 a.m., President Eagan, along with CFA vice president Kim Geron and East Bay Chapter President Nick Baham, will host a rally at the main entrance at CSU East Bay, in Hayward.

At 10 a.m., State Assemblyman Evan Low will join vice President Geron and San Jose chapter President Preston Rudy for a news briefing to discuss the vote at San Jose State University’s main entrance to Tower Hall.

Faculty members at San Francisco State University will hold a voting kick-off event at noon at the school’s main entrance near 19th and Holloway avenues, as in-person voting takes place on the campus. CFA President Eagan and San Francisco chapter President Sheila Tully will on hand at the event.

Also at noon, Sonoma CFA chapter President Elaine Newman will be on hand at the in-person voting site outside of Sonoma State University’s Salazar Hall to answer questions.

“Compensation remains a top priority,” CSU spokeswoman Toni Molle said in an email. “That’s why faculty was the only group of employees to receive salary increases and tenure-track salary promotions during the recession years. Over the last two years alone, CSU has invested $129.6 million in compensation with $65.5 million of that going to faculty,” “The bottom line is that the university has a responsibility to address all mission-central priorities that support student success,” Molle said.

And while “the CSU is committed to the collective bargaining process and to reaching a negotiated settlement with the CFA,” Molle said a strike would not be in the best interest of CSU students..