Letter of Support from SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry
More and more higher education labor unions are taking action to address severe inequities at their workplace and within their contract. As CFA members prepare to go on strike, support is pouring in throughout the county as our sibling unions take notice of our just cause and offer their support and solidarity. Members from the 2-million strong SEIU will be joining our picket lines. In a statement of support, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry applauds our efforts to address long-standing racial and gender inequities.
Dear CFA member,
The 2 million members of SEIU stand with you in your courageous decision to go on strike next month if California State University continues to reject California Faculty Association members’ demands for better pay and working conditions for all faculty.
It’s way past time for CSU to address long-standing racial and gender inequities by improving community well-being and safety on campus, strengthening mental health resources for students, expanding paid parental leave – and raising wages to keep pace with the cost of living while setting a livable minimum standard for CSU’s lowest-paid faculty. CSU management must also end its self-defeating policies that shift funding away from classrooms, labs, libraries, athletics, and counseling centers.
We are so proud that CFA members are making history in this unprecedented season of solidarity across the country. We’ve seen how working people are rising up together in historic ways, walking each other’s picket lines and rejecting an economy that has never worked for us. From coast to coast, working people of all backgrounds are winning together. Over 320,000 UPS workers and tens of thousands of autoworkers, pilots, writers, actors, and hospital workers have won strong contracts with major raises and protections. More than 500,000 fast-food workers in California won a $20/hour minimum wage and a seat at the table to raise standards even further.
Your leadership and fight for justice for the entire CSU community is a vital part of our Unions for All movement to create a world where all working people can earn a good living and have a good life – no matter who you are, where you’re from, or the color of your skin. When we fight together, we win!
In unity,
Mary Kay Henry
SEIU International President
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