HSU President Lisa Rossbacher sent a message to students about the potential strike and the negotiation process prior to the rally. The faculty are not on strike now, so you should not experience any disruption in your classes or exams this semester.
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In response to the vote results, CSU officials said the university “remains committed to the collective bargaining process and reaching a negotiated agreement with the California Faculty Association”. The percentage of full-time equivalent students who have enrolled in HSU over that period was nearly twice the amount of faculty hired, a discrepancy a few say has directly impacted students in terms of class size and engagement. “The approval of the strike vote gives CFA’s leadership the authority to initiate a strike or other concerted activities in the event that the parties do not reach an agreement at the conclusion of the statutory impasse procedure”, according to CSU.
Student activists from the HSU Student Labor Union said there is a need for a five percent faculty pay raise, more diverse faculty and to stop the corporate model of education.
Marcia Marx, head of the union chapter at Cal State San Bernardino, said about 75 faculty members from the campus rode down on two buses to take part in the march, which ended in a rally just across the narrow street running in front of the chancellor’s office.
She said she expected the demonstration would get the attention of the trustees. “Like any other worker with financial problems, it shows in your work”.
“We had good energy”, Marx said of the mood on the bus.
California State University faculty members and their supporters plan to march and rally this morning for better pay outside a Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach.
Dorothy Wills, union chair and an anthropology professor at Cal Poly Pomona, worries that salaries are falling behind other universities. The university system has offered a 2 percent increase.
“We’re talking about presidents who are making $300,000 to $400,000 already”, Alexander said.
The two sides started bargaining in May. They are now in a process known as fact-finding, with a three-person panel reviewing proposals.
“Fact-finding hearings are now scheduled for November 23 and December 7”.
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CFA President Jennifer Eagan said “Fight for 5 percent is an important measure on how much the trustees respect our work”. We have communicated that here at the Board of Trustees on several occasions and through the media. “I ask you to please believe us now”. “Across the CSU system, 94 percent of the union have voted in favor of a strike”. The union says that if a strike happens, it won’t happen until next year.
