At San Francisco State University on Tuesday, faculty members were on a one-day strike. Brad Erickson, President of the California Faculty Association, San Francisco State Chapter - told KALW why:
“We're still some of the lowest paid educators in the state. We're paid less than contingent faculty in the UCs. Less than in community colleges. And we're paid a lot less than public school teachers.”
Pomona, Los Angeles and Sacramento CSUs also held, or will hold, one-day strikes this week. At SF State, 300 faculty members have already been cut. Erickson emphasized alignment with students and other labor on campus, as well as opposition to student tuition hikes. Faculty are asking for 12 percent raises.
In a written statement, SF State President Lynn Mahoney said:
“We respect our employees’ labor rights. The University remains open today as we continue to prioritize students’ learning and progress toward graduation. All labor negotiations are handled centrally at the CSU Chancellor’s office, and I remain hopeful that the CSU reaches an agreement with the CFA as they have done with other unions.”
Labor and the CSU will meet next week - depending on the outcome - Erickson warns:
“We'll see if they're ready to come to the table with real movement. If not, this is a taste of what's to come, and that we're prepared to have system wide strikes in the spring semester.”
