Thousands of faculty members at California State University campuses, the largest university system in the US, walked off the job on Monday, beginning a five-day strike.
The strike affects professors and advisers for more than 450,000 students in the university system, though Cal State is not canceling classes.
The California Faculty Association represents 29,000 members, including professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches, across 23 Cal State campuses. The union is seeking a 12% pay raise, a raise to the salary floor for lowest-paid faculty and expanded paid parental leave, among other demands.
The union has been bargaining with Cal State since May, and the university system has offered a pay raise of 5%. The union says it is seeking “wages that keep pace with the cost of living and set a livable minimum standard for our lowest paid faculty.”
“We are fighting against management’s self-defeating austerity policies that serve to shift funding away from classrooms, labs, libraries, athletics, and counseling centers,” the union said in a statement.
Cal State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The strike is temporary and will end on January 26, according to the union. There are currently no bargaining sessions between the union and Cal State scheduled.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
Read the full article here