Teachers at Fresno State and across the California State University system are going on strike on Monday.
The California Faculty Association announced that a strike will take place from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26.
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The big picture: The 29,000 CSU employees that are part of the CFA are seeking a 12 percent raise, far more than the five percent the university system offered last month.
- Along with salary issues, both sides are far apart on paid parental leave. The union wants either a full semester or two quarters of paid leave for new parents. On the other hand, CSU is looking to keep parental leave at six weeks.
- CFA released a statement Thursday saying CSU has rejected its calls for raising the floor for its lowest-paid faculty, manageable workloads, more counselors on staff, accessible lactation and milk storage spaces for lactating faculty, safe gender-inclusive restrooms and changing rooms and safety provisions for faculty interacting with university police.
What they’re saying: Chris Cox, CFA Vice President of Racial and Social Justice, North, and San Jose State Lecturer said in the statement that CSU management has ignored the vast majority of the CFA’s demands.
- “CSU management wants to maintain the status quo, which is not working for the vast majority of our faculty, students, and staff,” Cox said. “In order for us to have a properly functioning system in years to come, we need to improve the working conditions for faculty and learning conditions for students. This includes raising the salary floor for the lowest paid faculty; a general salary increase for all faculty; parental leave appropriate to our work assignment, and appropriate staffing for mental health counselors on campus.”
