The California Faculty Association contract battle is officially over. After eight months of negotiations, labor actions and two strikes, the CFA has voted to ratify the tentative agreement offered on Jan. 22.
The new contract will offer a realm of benefits from a 5% retroactive general salary increase from July 1, 2023, raising the floor for the lowest paid lecturers in the A and B categories by $3,000, increased paid parental leave, more counselors, safe gender inclusive spaces and lactation facilities and more.
“This TA (tentative agreement) provides two general salary increases totaling more than a 10% raise for all faculty within the next six months,” CFA officers said in a faculty-wide email.
76% of union members voted to approve the agreement, while 24% of members voted against.
“There are strong opinions about the tentative agreement,” CFA officers said in the email. “Some members clearly wanted more progress with this specific TA. Most members realize that we will move forward together and that our work for a better CSU continues.”
In order for the agreement to officially be instituted, the California State University board of trustees needs to approve the contract.
“We look forward to the CSU Board of Trustees Committee on collective bargaining ratification of the agreement in March and to continue working in partnership with the CFA and its members to carry out our mission in service to our students and the university,” the CSU chancellor’s office said in a statement to student media.
The board is scheduled to meet on March 24-27, but the CFA has urged for a special meeting before then to get the tentative agreement approved sooner.
Faculty members will begin to see changes for the May pay period which will be reflected in the June paycheck.
It may take longer to process certain raises because some contracts are more complex than others and they need to be done by hand, according to CFA officers in the email.
The union will keep its members updated throughout the process.
The terms and conditions of the tentative agreement will only begin to take effect if and when the CSU board of trustees approve the contract.
The CFA has acknowledged the rise in anti-union groups, but union leaders are working to reassure faculty members that this is the road to a better future for the CSU.
The CFA said it is still committed to a better CSU for everyone and believes there are still flaws in the system.
“We need to focus our energies on the battles ahead of us: management’s self-defeating austerity policies, administrative bloat, affordability and access for ALL students, combating anti-Black racism to enhance “servingness,” and resisting the corporatization of higher education to name a few,” CFA officers said. “We will only be successful if we’re working together.”
