California State University faculty are planning a rolling strike this week at several campuses, including San Francisco State University on Tuesday.
The union for faculty members at CSUs, the California Faculty Association (CFA), says the salary increases the university system has proposed are not adequate.
CFA, which represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches at CSU campuses, is planning a four-day strike at four different universities.
- Dec. 4 at Cal Poly Pomona
- Dec. 5 at San Francisco State
- Dec. 6 at CSU Los Angeles
- Dec. 7 at Sacramento State
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At the San Francisco State University campus on Sunday, many students were busy preparing for finals, and most who spoke with NBC Bay Area knew of the upcoming strike.
Some students told us the strike was impacting their schedules for their finals and competitive athletic events.
Third-year SFSU student Armin Abolhassani, who is studying philosophy, religion, and creative writing, said he plans to stay at home Tuesday as all his classes are canceled.
"I've heard plans for a strike from a lot of my professors, and I have heard most -- if not all -- of the classes are gonna be shut down on campus," Abolhassani said.
Regarding the strike, Abolhassani said, "I support it because it is really disheartening what’s happening this semester with all the professors being laid off, a lot of great professors have been losing their jobs who have been working here for decades."
Brad Erickson, a lecturer and President of the faculty union at SFSU, said that faculty pay has not kept up with inflation.
"Not just San Francisco, but the whole CSU [system], faculty have seen their costs like rent and food and child care go up in double digits, and our pay hasn’t," Erickson said.
Among other things, CFA is asking for a 12% raise for faculty in one year.
The CSU system says that would cost $380 million in new recurring spending.
"For context, CFA's salary demand would cost $150 million more than the funding increase that the CSU received from the state of California for all operations in 2023-24," the California State University said in a news release on Dec. 1.
The CSU system says it proposed 15% general salary increases for faculty over three years, plus additional increases possible for some faculty.
However, the faculty union says that offer is unacceptable.
"First of all, they’re not offering 15%; they are offering 5% for this year when we’re asking for 12%. And then they’re stipulating that they would be willing to give us 5% in the next 2 years if the state provides the money," Erickson said.
In an email obtained by NBC Bay Area, faculty at one CSU campus were told the most recent offer to CFA included 15% in general salary increases over the next three years, with 5% in the present year, and then depending on the state honoring the financial commitments it made with the CSU, 5% the following year, and 5% the year after that.
San Francisco State said in a statement: "SF State respects our employees and their labor rights. All labor negotiations are handled centrally at the CSU Chancellor’s office. We remain hopeful that the CSU reaches an agreement with the CFA as they have done with other unions."
The CSU Office of the Chancellor said to NBC Bay Area in a statement: "California State University (CSU) respects the right of the California Faculty Association (CFA) to engage in lawful concerted activities. Our goal, and hope, is to minimize any disruptions to our students. CSU is prepared to get back to the bargaining table with CFA at any time. We believe that issues should be resolved through bargaining."
Hundreds of students are expected to walk the picket lines with faculty during the strike.
Erickson said more than 500 faculty are scheduled to be at the picket line on Tuesday, including faculty from other local CSUs. Then the next week, Erickson said the union plans to meet with CSU management again.
"If they don’t give us a better offer, then we know we start organizing for larger systemwide strikes in the spring," he said.
