Cal State System employees seek new collective bargaining agreement, poised to strike 

California State University System employees who are displeased with their compensation, class sizes and a lack of access to mental health counseling for students are prepared to strike if wholesale changes aren’t made.  

California Faculty Association members across all 23 system campuses voted to authorize a strike to secure a new collective bargaining agreement with CSU that addresses their concerns.  

“CFA members are emphatic that low pay, growing workloads, and systemic inequities are not sustainable,” the CFA said in an announcement. “CSU management needs to invest their money where it matters – the people and programs with direct impact on student learning and success.” 

Voting members’ demands include:  

•  A pay raise that stays ahead of inflation.  
•  Pay equity and raising the floor for the lowest-paid faculty.  
•  Manageable workloads that allow for more support and engagement with students.  
•  More counselors to improve students’ access to mental health counseling.  
•  Expanding paid parental leave.  
•  Accessible lactation and milk storage spaces.  
•  Safe gender-inclusive restrooms and changing rooms.  
•  Safe gender-inclusive restrooms and changing rooms.  

CFA members plan to present their demands to trustees and new Chancellor Mildred García when the Board of Trustees meets Nov. 7 in Long Beach.  

The CFA Bargaining Team met several times with CSU management over the summer on re-opener contract bargaining, discussing limited articles of the Collective Bargaining Agreement – workload, parental leave, salary, benefits, and health and safety.  

The organization said it had met in October with an independent arbitrator. 

“The CSU and CFA are still engaged in the bargaining process,” the system said in a statement following the vote. “This weekend, the two sides concluded meetings with an independent fact-finder, who will prepare a report of their findings and recommendations. 

“The recommendations are not binding, and after the report is issued (in about three weeks), the CSU and CFA will have 10 days to review the report before it becomes public. CFA and CSU may continue to meet and negotiate throughout this period. If after the 10-day “quiet” period, the parties have not reached agreement, CFA may then call for a strike.”