Faculty union negotiations reach impasse

By Irene Adeline Milanez NEWS EDITOR

The California Faculty Association (CFA) reached an impasse with the California State University System on negotiations regarding workplace conditions.

An impasse occurs when “the parties have reached a point in meeting and conferring at which their differences in positions are such that further meetings would be futile” according to the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act of 1979.

The CFA union represents over 29,000 CSU professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches according to its bio.

accept CFA’s proposed salary and benefit changes during their most recent negotiation meeting on Aug. 7.

In response, the CFA contacted the Public Employees Relation Board (PERB) to request and declare impasse. PERB granted its request on August 14.

After an impasse is declared, both parties must participate in mediation to reach resolution to their disagreements.

Buyco said the two groups have reached an impasse because members of the CFA felt the administration has not engaged with their demands.

The demands include a 12% general salary increase, equitable pay and fair workload according to the CFA Sunshine Letter to Commence Re-opener Bargaining.

know, under $400 million for the whole system.”

Buyco said in addition CFA members demand that every building has a gender-neutral bathroom and that the CSU provides adequate, private lactation rooms.

“I think, increasingly, corporate America is understanding the changing world and adapting to it. So we want the CSU to be more proactive in that regard,” he said.

Buyco said in line with these accessibility demands, the CFA wants to address the mental health needs of students. The union proposes a ratio of 1,000 to 15,000 students per counselor which is the ratio recommended by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services. the CSU management final offer after fact-finding. A work-stopping strike could last weeks to possibly over a month.

“We would like to have [counselors] that know our students, who are more tied to the culture of our own campus,” said Buyco.

He said in total the CFA and the CSU system have opened four bargaining sessions without reaching any agreement.

“The CSU will continue to negotiate in good faith with the express goal of reaching an agreement that provides our employees fair and appropriate compensation within the funding constraints that we face,” said Hazel Kelly, CSU spokesperson.

“That doesn’t mean that there won’t be other actions,” Pinnell said. “We may have protests. We might have rallies, we might have information tables. There might be appearances at the Board of Trustees.”

Jonathan Roth, CFA chapter member since 1994 and history professor, said he would be willing to go on strike and that there is a high level of frustration among the faculty.

The CSU management countered the CFA ’s initial proposals regarding salary, workload, health and safety, benefits and leaves of absence with pay, in July. Two additional meetings in August ended without compromise according to a CFA Communication Committee Announcement.

Ray Buyco, the president for San Jose’s chapter in the CFA union and senior history lecturer, said the chapter represents all San Jose State faculty regardless of membership status.

“Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions,” Buyco said.

The CSU management representatives also did not

“12% barely makes up for inflation over the last year,” Buyco said.

The CSU currently has over $8.5 billion in reserves from both the CSU consolidated investment pool and cash in the state treasury according to CSU Opengov.

The CSU consolidated investment pool contains portfolios and trusts, like the Systemwide Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT), that pools university cash and investments according to the California State University Quarterly Investment Report.

“There has to be some holistic thought on how they manage their budget,” Buyco said. “What it would take to completely satisfy our demands would be about, you

If the mediation results in no settlement the next step is fact-finding.

Fact-finding is conducted by a three-person panel that considers presentations from both the CFA and CSU management.

Sabrina Pinnell, CFA chapter secretary and senior political science lecturer, said if fact-finding does not result in agreement the union might go on strike.

“A strike is not just a strike. It’s the build up to the strikes,” said Pinnell. “It is a matter of getting all of the faculty … for the possibility of a work stoppage.”

She said during bargaining sessions CSU administration representatives largely questioned or dismissed student-to-counselor ratios.

“The [CSU administration] thought that we would be this undisciplined rabble . . . That’s not what happened,” Pinnell said. “I don’t think that they changed their strategy to reflect that.”

She said the CFA can only decide to go on a workstopping strike after it rejects

“The president, the provost, the deans, they have proliferated in number and their salary has increased. That’s a problem” Roth said. “I do not think that they add value to the extent to which they’re paid.”

Roth said he is disappointed the university is underpaying its faculty, especially given the high cost of living.

“The conditions and the pay of the lecturers is absolutely scandalous,” he said. “I think it’s really unconscionable that we rely on what’s technically temporary, part time faculty. They’re actually the backbone of the university.”

Buyco said he hopes mediation will lead to agreement between the CSU and the CFA.

“It’s my sincere hope that we’re able to settle and come to terms so we don’t interrupt student learning,” Buyco said. “Your faculty do not want to go on strike. However they will, if necessary.”