After last week’s strike authorization vote, The California Faculty Association (CFA) announced in an email today that 95% of voting members support a strike.

The CFA union represents 29,000 faculty across the 23 California State Universities, which serve 485,000 students, according to CFA’s website.

The vote does not mean that a strike will happen. It signifies that a majority of voting members support a strike if the CSU does not meet the demands of the union.

“Thousands of members are joining together to confront years of frustration created by management neglect and their disinvestment in students. This vote is a clear sign that our just cause will not be denied,” CFA President Charles Toombs said in a quote included in the email.

Currently, the union’s demands outlined in the email include:

• “A pay raise that keeps ahead of inflation.”

• “Pay equity and raising the floor for our lowest-paid faculty.”

• “Manageable workloads that allow for more support and engagement with students.”

• “More counselors to improve students’ much-needed access to mental health counseling.”

• “Expanding paid parental leave.”

• “Accessible lactation and milk storage spaces for lactating faculty.”

• “Safe gender-inclusive restrooms and changing rooms.”

• “Safety provisions for faculty interacting with university police on our campuses.”

The CFA is currently in the fact-finding phase of their reopener contract with the CSU. If a settlement is not agreed upon by both parties, a strike is all but guaranteed to follow.

“The CSU and CFA are still engaged in the bargaining process. This weekend, the two sides concluded meetings with an independent fact finder, who will prepare a report of their findings and recommendations,” said Leora D. Freedman, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources of the CSU, in an email.

“The recommendations are not binding, and after the report is issued (in about three weeks), the CSU and CFA will have 10 days to review the report before it becomes public. CFA and CSU may continue to meet and negotiate throughout this period. If after the 10-day “quiet” period, the parties have not reached agreement, CFA may then call for a strike,” she added.

Another union in the CSU system, Teamsters Local 2010, also announced today that they have voted to authorize a strike.

The union represents 1,100 trades workers in the CSU system that include mechanics, carpenters, electricians, painters, plumbers, engineers and more. 94% of voting members voted to allow union representatives to conduct a strike at 22 campuses across the CSU system.

Recently, the CSU reached tentative deals with two unions to increase wages.

On Oct. 25, the CSU announced it had reached an agreement with the Academic Professionals of California (APC) and the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 39 (IUOE) to increase wages for both unions.

The APC represents 3,500 employees that work to provide students services across the CSU, and the IUOE represents employees in building trades at CSU Maritime Academy. A full overview of the tentative agreements can be found on the CSU’s Labor and Employee Relations page.