Rights, Respect, Justice: The Union is on Track to Factfinding Even as Faculty Pressure Forces CSU Back to Bargaining Table

Since September 30, we have been at impasse. Last week, the mediator certified the union and management to factfinding. As we have done in the past, CFA let the Chancellor’s team know that we will meet if they have proposals even as we prepare our case for factfinding.

The actions of faculty across the state and in Long Beach worked – the management team asked us back to the table and have committed to responding to open articles. Faculty leaders of CFA’s Bargaining Team and CSU management are scheduled to meet twice this week.

At today’s meeting, management made significant movement in several areas, but we continue to push for stronger salary and contract terms. We plan to update faculty about the status of bargaining at the conclusion of our sessions this week.

How did we get here?

CFA and the CSU met for mediation over a two-day period at CFA headquarters in Sacramento and in Long Beach. Unfortunately, we did not get a deal in the mediation process.

The third-party mediator advanced us to factfinding. If we do not get an agreement this week, we will prepare to present our factfinding case and continue through the statutory process that could conclude with job actions. We do not expect this process to end in this calendar year, and we encourage faculty to work with local chapters organizing around next steps.

While factfinding is forthcoming, because of campus actions, petitions to presidents, speakers at the rally at the Board of Trustee meeting, and all-around faculty pressure, management appears finally motivated to actually bargain.

“During our ongoing negotiations, we must all remember that this is a fight for every faculty member.”

CFA President Charles Toombs

The bargaining team is returning to the table because of our actions, hoping the CSU will actually do some work this time, instead of refusing to engage with proposed changes to the contract, offering only takebacks and “no’s” during the more than 18 months at the negotiation table.

“During our ongoing negotiations, we must all remember that this is a fight for every faculty member,” CFA President Charles Toombs said. “We will not leave any of our five positions – coaches, counselors, lecturers, librarians, and professors – behind in our fight for a fair contract. The language of our contract hasn’t been updated since at least 2014, and much longer for parental leave and workload.”

The chancellor, despite not once sitting in on a bargaining meeting during his entire tenure, tweeted Tuesday his “support for a fair contract” with CFA.

“I am eager to find common ground with faculty representatives during our bargaining sessions this week,” he wrote.

So are we.

As we wrote back to him: actions speak louder than words.

“The chancellor promised to support anti-racism and social justice (ARSJ) initiatives. Well, here’s your chance,” said Toombs. “Our contract proposals offer ARSJ initiatives to uplift and protect us and our students. From biased opinions, to workload issues, to longer contracts, to designating alternatives to campus police, to parental leave, to reclassification, to range elevation, these all are ARSJ initiatives and bread and butter issues for our faculty.

“Do right by your faculty and sign off on our fair contract proposals.”

To read more on the next steps, click here.

Stay updated on negotiations at CFAbargaining.org.