Professors at California State University (CSU) ended their strike this Monday. As a result, teachers will return to the classrooms this Tuesday after signing a tentative agreement that assures them an annual salary increase of approximately 10%. Specifically, an immediate 5% salary increase retroactive to last year was authorized, which will be followed by a new increase in salaries of the other 5% on July 1.
In case anyone forgot, STRIKES WORK! After months of negotiations, our movement for a #betterCSU has paid off! Our members have won a Tentative Agreement with @calstate that includes raising the floor for our most vulnerable faculty, safer workplaces & expanded parental leave.#1u pic.twitter.com/q9VXHO0P6p
— California Faculty Association (@CFA_United) January 23, 2024
The announcement, The New York Times reported, came at just the right time. That same day, the California Teachers Association, the union that represents 29,000 teachers, librarians, counselors and coaches, was scheduled to begin a five-day strike at CSU's 23 campuses nationwide, affecting about 460,000 students.
California State University faculty celebrate tentative agreement
It was this alliance that, in the eyes of Antonio Gallo, associate vice president of teachers in the southern region, managed to reach an agreement that put an end to the largest teachers' strike in the history of the United States:
This historic agreement was won because of members’ solidarity, collective action, bravery, and love for each other and our students. This is what People Power looks like. This deal immensely improves working conditions for faculty and strengthens learning conditions for students.
The agreement will also include a base salary increase for teachers who earn the least. Thus, their salaries will increase by $3,000. In addition, parental will be increased from six to ten weeks.
Labor improvements that Mildred García, chancellor of California State University, also highlighted in a press release issued minutes after the end of the strike was announced:
I am extremely pleased and deeply appreciative that we have reached common ground with CFA that will end the strike immediately. The agreement enables the CSU to fairly compensate its valued, world-class faculty while protecting the university system's long-term financial sustainability. With the agreement in place, I look forward to advancing our student-centered work — together — as the nation's greatest driver of social mobility and the pipeline fueling California's diverse and educated workforce.
