On November 17, 2011, the California Faculty Association, which represents over 20,000 tenure-track and contingent faculty at 23 California State University campuses, will stage one-day strikes at CSU East Bay and CSU Dominguez Hills.
In 2008-09 and 2009-10, California State University faculty were denied contractually guaranteed salary increases allegedly because of the state’s ongoing budget crisis. Two independent fact-finders agreed with CFA that the CSU has the resources to pay portions of these increases that were designed to reduce salary disparities among faculty, but the CSU has refused. However, the strikes take place in the context of ongoing bargaining for a new contract, in which the CSU has rebuffed even modest salary and workload proposals, while pursuing a series of “take-backs,” including an assault on the system of three-year contracts for long-term contingent faculty.
The Santa Cruz Faculty Association, an affiliate of the Council of UC Faculty Associations and the American Association of University Professor, joins The Campaign for the Future of Higher Education (CFHE) and many other progressive organizations to record its support of the California Faculty Association in their one day strike at two campuses. We support the CFA’s ongoing campaign to counter the misplaced priorities of the California State University.
In supporting our colleagues at CFA in this action, we are supporting affordable, quality higher education for all who can benefit. As a country and as a state, we must provide the working conditions and institutional support for the faculty who do the essential educational work of the institution. And we call for substantially more public investment to enable quality education for the growing numbers of students and public who are demanding it.