BARGAINING REPORTS
2007

RATIFICATION VOTE STATUS

The California Faculty Association and the CSU Administration representatives worked through the weekend to continue turning the tentative agreements reached on April 3 into final contract language. That language is now nearly complete and the ratification vote of union members remains on course to be held May 1-3.

According to CFA President John Travis, “There has been a decent level of good will between the parties in working through a relatively large number of sticky problems around the language development. We hope the cooperation between us and the administration continues as we fully implement the new contract on the campuses after our ratification vote and approval of the Board of Trustees.”

This ratification vote will take place in similar fashion to the strike-authorization vote that was held last month. Times and locations for individual campus ratification voting will be forthcoming.

If the tentative agreement is ratified by the CFA membership, it will then go to the CSU Board of Trustees for approval at their May 15-16 meeting.

To view the specifics of the tentative agreement reached by CFA and the CSU Administration, including salary figures and a summary of the deal, please click here.

Please remember that you cannot participate in the ratification vote unless you are a member of the union. To join, click here.

ATTEND YOUR CAMPUS MEETING ON THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

CFA leaders will be traveling to all 23 campuses over the next few weeks to hold meetings to explain the tentative agreement to faculty members. These meetings will include a presentation outlining what the faculty can expect under the new contract and an opportunity to ask questions about concerns over what the contract will provide.

The schedule for these campus meetings is as follows:

April 18
Los Angeles -12:30-2 pm, Gerontology Bldg Room C98
Long Beach -12-2 pm, Chart Room/Pacific Room
Maritime -11:45 am, CLS 101
Channel Islands -12-1:30 pm, Sage Hall 1st floor Conf Room
Chico -12-1 pm, Sylvester's

April 19
Pomona -12-1 pm, Rm TBA
San Marcos -12-1 pm, Commons 206

April 23
Fullerton -12-2 pm, Rm TBA
San Bernardino -12-2 pm, Rm TBA

April 24
Northridge -12-1:30 pm, University Club
San Jose - 4-6 pm, Engineering 285/287
Dominguez Hills - 11:30 am -1 pm, SCC 1304

April 25
Fresno -12-1:30 pm, AG 109
Fresno - 3:30-5 pm, AG 109
Northridge -12-1:30 pm, Sierra Cntr 2nd floor mtg rm
Sonoma -12-1 pm, Darwin Hall
San Diego -12pm-1:50pm, Hepner Hall 130
Monterey Bay - 3-5 pm, Rm TBA

April 26
SLO -11 am-2 pm, Bldg 33 Rm 286
SLO - 3:30-5 pm, Bldg 52 Rm B 5
San Bernardino -12-2 pm, Student Union, Rm #217218
San Diego -12:30pm-1:50pm, Hepner Hall 221
San Francisco -12:30-2:30 pm, Knuth Hall, Rm 132

April 27
Stanislaus -12-2 pm, Faculty Devl Cntr Hall

To find out more about your campus meeting please contact your local CFA chapter president or field staffer. To find your chapter, click here.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

To get answers to your questions about the new contract, CFA has posted explanatory documents on the CFA website that examine both the salary-related and non-salary-related agreements reached by the two sides.

These can be accessed by visiting the “settlement” webpage: click here.

If you have specific questions about the contract not answered in these documents, send an e-mail to contract1@calfac.org

CFA MEMBERSHIP DRAMATICALLY INCREASES

The historic nature of the recent fight to get an equitable contract fight was proven yet again when it was revealed last week that CFA membership has dramatically increased over the last several months.

In total, more than 1,400 new members have joined the union since November, with nearly 900 of those new members signing up to join during the weeks leading up to the strike authorization vote.

YOU MUST BE A MEMBER TO VOTE - SIGN UP TO BECOME A MEMBER

Please remember that you must be a member of the union to participate in the ratification vote. CSU faculty members who are not yet CFA members may join now and immediately become eligible to vote.

Sign up to become a member today: click here.

If you are unsure of your CFA membership status, check the deduction line on a recent pay stub. If it says “DUES-CFA,” you are a member. If it says “FS-CFA” or “NONMEM-CFA,” you are an agency fee payer but not a member.

For further information about membership, speak with your CFA chapter president or CFA field representative. Join now: click here.

Bargaining Update
April 10, 2007

CONTRACT NEARLY FINALIZED, RATIFICATIONS UP NEXT

After more than 23 months of negotiations, a successor contract for CSU faculty is nearly complete.

The California Faculty Association and the CSU Administration announced a tentative agreement last week and the two sides have since been working to turn those tentative agreements into final contract language.

The deal includes agreements on all the key issues related to salary, workload, grievances, parking, FERP and appointments, which have been the most contentiously debated topics in this round of bargaining.

To view the specifics of these tentative agreements including salary figures and a summary of the deal, click here.

Once the contract language is finalized, a ratification vote of union members will be held. This ratification vote will take place in similar fashion to the strike-authorization vote that was held last month.

If the tentative agreement is ratified by the CFA membership, it will go to the CSU Board of Trustees Collective Bargaining Committee for approval.

Please remember that you cannot participate in the ratification vote unless you are a member of the union. CSU faculty members who are not yet CFA members may join now and immediately become eligible to vote. To join, click here.

CONTRACT IMPACT TO CAMPUS BUDGETS

During the latter stages of the contract campaign, CSU administrators – including some campus presidents – began spreading rumors that any increase in their offer to CFA would require reductions in campus budgets. This could not be farther from the truth.

Just before the publication of the fact-finders report, CFA issued a special report demonstrating unusually large growth over the last few years in the CSU's unrestricted assets that clearly refutes this claim. According to an independent forensic accountant the CSU administration had more than $1.25 billion in unrestricted net assets at their disposal.

If this report was not proof enough, the financial analysts at Moody's issued a report of their own just days later upgrading the CSU bond rating, citing several of the same revenue conclusions our analysis discovered.

In order to quell the disinformation about the contract’s impact to campus budgets, CFA President John Travis sent a letter to all 23 campus presidents urging them to stand up for their campus budgets and share accurate information with faculty and staff.

“We do not believe the chancellor is being honest when he claims increases in the salary proposal to the faculty will have to come from campus budgets,” Travis wrote. “We realize that the chancellor could be vindictive and force campuses to cover any improved proposal even if it really isn’t necessary. If that happens, we hope you will stand up for your campus - students, faculty and staff.”

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

With CFA and the CSU administration announcing last week that a tentative agreement has been reached to end the 23-month contract standoff, faculty members have been sending union leaders many questions about the specifics of the deal.

To help answer your questions about the new contract, CFA has posted explanatory documents on the CFA website that examine both the salary-related and non-salary-related agreements reached by the two sides.

These can be accessed by visiting the “settlement” webpage - click here.

If you have specific questions about the contract not answered in these documents, send an e-mail to contract1@calfac.org

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE CONTRACT

Beginning this week, CFA Headlines will begin publishing a series of answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the new contract.

As stated above, if you have specific questions about the contract not answered here or on the website, you can submit your inquiries via e-mail to contract1@calfac.org and get a quick reply.

Q: What will the effective dates of the new contract be, and when will the raises kick in?

A: After ratification, the effective date of the contract will most likely be July 1, 2006, and the expiration date will be July 2, 2010. The first salary increases will be paid soon thereafter and retroactive to July 1, 2006.

Q: I am retiring soon; how will the new contract affect me?

A: Anyone retiring subsequent to July 1, 2006 will receive the pay raise effective that date. Retroactivity will be paid between July 1, 2006 and the retirement date. Any one retiring before June 30, 2007 will not receive the raise scheduled for that date.

If the July 1, 2006 pay raise has the effect of causing the year prior to retirement that includes that date to be a faculty member's highest salary year for pension calculation purposes, PERS will recalculate the pension payment at a later date (not quickly). If a faculty member had, in the past, a higher earning year than the year including July 1, 2006, no pension payment recalculation is necessary.

FACULTY SPEAK OUT ABOUT CONTRACT FIGHT AND TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

Thousands of CSU faculty members took a stand for the CSU and stood up for themselves in the latest contract dispute with the chancellor. The vote of 94% of the faculty in favor of a strike was a decisive action that showed our determination. Here are words from a few about the experience. Add your comments by sending an email to editor@calfac.org

“CFA showed that when the faculty stands together to demand simple justice and a work environment that is not downsized and privatized into oblivion by a bunch of out of touch administrators, we will be victorious! Let 2007 be on their minds four years from now when they try to break the faculty union again! If we must close down the system to earn a decent wage, so be it!”

- Joseph A. Palermo, CSU Sacramento, History

“Recent events have proven that, when one is marginalized in the orchestration of educational matters, s/he must beat the drum loudly. CFA is a master percussionist.”

- Bill Younglove, CSU Long Beach, English Education

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Bargaining Update
March 29, 2007

CALIFORNIA FACULTY ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES STRIKE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF APRIL 9-13

The California Faculty Association (CFA) announced today that if the faculty is unable to reach a settlement with the CSU Administration, that its members will strike on six campuses during the week of April 9-13. The two sides have until April 6 to work out a labor agreement, a process that has been dragging on for over 23 months.

If there is no deal, the schedule for the first week of strikes will be:

Tuesday-Wednesday, April 10-11:
Cal State Los Angeles & California Maritime Academy

Wednesday-Thursday, April 11-12:
CSU Dominguez Hills (Carson/Los Angeles County), CSU East Bay (Hayward), CSU Sacramento & CSU San Marcos (San Diego County)

Lillian Taiz, CFA Vice President and Professor of History at Cal State Los Angeles stated, “We believe it is in the best interests of everyone, including Chancellor Reed and his administration, to settle this contract. We have the necessary guidance from the fact finding report that we believe makes it possible to reach such a settlement.

“However, we have been disappointed before. We’ve been pushing this rock up the hill for two years. We are 10 feet from the top. We can’t stop now. The Chancellor made a promise; he’s got to live up to it.”

Each of the 23 CSU campuses has formed an Organizing Committee of faculty members who are putting together plans to effectively close the campuses down for two days each. Faculty members are sharing the strike information with CSU students so that they fully understand what will take place if the rolling strikes begin.

If the 10-day extension ends without a contract, CFA will announce additional strike dates for the remaining CSU campuses.

On March 25, CFA and the CSU Administration agreed to extend the current labor contract for 10 days as the two parties attempt to work on a new labor agreement. That was the same day that an independent mediator released a report with specific recommendations for the parties to use to solve the labor dispute.

Those recommendations include raises for the faculty that will help to close the 18% salary gap between what CSU professors earn and the earnings of their peers at similar universities around the country.

News media outlets are invited to visit campuses next week as faculty make strike preparations. For specific details on media availability on the CSU campuses, please contact the following CFA campus chapter presidents:

LILLIAN TAIZ, CFA Vice President
Cal State Los Angeles Professor of History, 323-343-5310
Tuesday, April 3, 11:30-1 pm, Walkway between the libraries, CSU Los Angeles

Faculty members will be making picket signs and available to speak with the media.

JANET POWELL
CSU San Marcos Professor of Education, 760-750-4009
Tuesday, April 3, Noon-1 pm, CSU San Marcos (North San Diego County)

Media are invited to speak with faculty outside a meeting of Strike Captains in University Hall, Room 370. At the same time, students will hold a rally at the Library.

CECIL CANTON, CFA Associate Vice President
CSU Sacramento Professor of Criminal Justice,
916-278-6196
Wednesday, April 4, 11:30-1 pm, Library Quad, CSU Sacramento

Faculty members will be making picket signs and available to speak with the media. Also, at noon students will hold a rally at the same location.

TOM MCCOY, CFA Faculty Rights Chair
CSU East Bay Professor of Communication, 510-885-3232
Thursday, April 5, 11:30-12:30 pm, Library Courtyard, CSU East Bay (Hayward)

Faculty members will be making picket signs and available to speak with the media.

DAVID BRADFIELD, CFA Associate Vice President
CSU Dominguez Hills Professor of Music, 310-243-2168
Saturday, April 7, 10 am-2 pm, South Academic Complex, CSU Dominguez Hills (Carson/Los Angeles County). Faculty members will be making picket signs and engaged in other strike preparations, and will be available to speak with the media.

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Bargaining Update
March 25, 2007

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Bargaining Update
March 25, 2007

BREAKING NEWS: FACT-FINDING REPORT SUPPORTS CFA’S PROPOSAL ON NEARLY ALL COUNTS

The administration must now face the facts and settle a fair contract

The fact-finding report recommending how to end the bargaining impasse between CFA and the CSU administration became public on March 25. CFA immediately called on the administration to Face the Facts, accept the report’s recommendations, and settle the contract.

“We call on the Chancellor of the CSU to return to the bargaining table and settle an agreement now based on the fact finder’s report,” said John Travis, CFA President. “If he refuses then he forces us to proceed with a strike. That is not what we want and it’s not what the CSU needs.”

To view the fact finders recommendations as well as the fact finding reports from both CFA and the CSU administration please visit: http://www.calfac.org/factfinding.html

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Bargaining Update
March 20, 2007

STRIKE VOTE RESULTS ANNOUNCED TOMMORROW AT 10 A.M. AT DOMINGUEZ HILLS; LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS COMPLETES HISTORIC VOTE COUNT

The Los Angeles League of Women Voters has completed and certified the results of the first-ever strike-authorization vote by CFA members. CFA leaders will announce the results tomorrow at 10 a.m. on the CSU Dominguez Hills campus.

The CFA elected leadership and dozens of faculty from all 23 CSU campuses will be on hand in a show of solidarity and to participate in the Bargaining Team effort to communicate our message to the assembled media and to the public. In addition to the live audience, reporters from across the state will have access to the event via conference call hookup.

The CSU administration, after 22 months of fruitless talks, walked away from the negotiating table last summer. Chancellor Charles B. Reed claims the university system cannot afford to close a salary gap by which CSU faculty lag behind colleagues at comparable institutions. The California Postsecondary Education Commission, in universally acknowledged findings, documents that gap as 18%. (See the special report below regarding the CSU’s growing unrestricted assets.)

Meanwhile, the Reed administration has raised executive salaries by 23% and imposed cumulative student fee hikes of 94% since 2002.

“We don’t want a strike,” CFA President John Travis said. “But the administration’s intransigence has made it clear that faculty need new measures in order to reverse the mismanagement of the public university to which we have dedicated our careers, and to protect our livelihoods.”

SUSPENSE BUILDS AS FACT-FINDER’S FINAL REPORT IS SUBMITTED TO PARTIES

After weeks of meetings, drafting and waiting, the final fact-finding report has been completed and mailed to both the CSU and CFA. By law, the recommendations of fact-finder Sylvia Skratek, along with her co-panelists—CSU Vice Chancellor Jackie McClain and CFA President Travis—are intended to guide the parties to fashion a comprehensive agreement.

The parties have seen the report, but cannot make it public for 10 days. The 10-day blackout period expires at the end of this week.

Testifying at a legislative hearing earlier this month, Chancellor Reed, in response to legislators’ concerns about a faculty strike, said he looked forward to reviewing the fact-finder’s recommendations and expected that they would be useful in resolving the dispute with the faculty and their union. However, in the first days after the fact-finding report was delivered to him, there has been no reaction from his office or any indication to CFA that the administration wishes to return to the bargaining table before the report is made public.

The union is prohibited from striking before the fact-finding report is made public. This combination of seeing the fact-finder’s recommendations for the first time, measuring the parties’ reaction to them and hearing the results of the strike vote should make the next couple of weeks a time to remember.

WHILE ADMINISTRATION PLEADS POVERTY, MOODY’S FINDS $1.2 BILLION AND UPGRADES CSU BOND RATING

The authoritative Moody’s Investors Service last month upgraded the CSU’s bond rating from A1 to Aa3. A key factor in the upgrade, the Moody’s report says, is the existence of “unrestricted reserves” totaling $1.2 billion.

Essentially liquid assets that administrators can spend as they please, these unrestricted reserves have increased 45% over the last five years.

You can read the Feb. 12 report by registering (for free) at http://Moodys.com and searching for “California State University.”

CFA CONSULTANT’S ANALYSIS: CSU MANAGEMENT CONTROLS AMPLE FUNDS TO CLOSE THE BARGAINING GAP

The Moody’s report forms the backdrop for a CFA-commissioned analysis of the contrast between the administration’s claims regarding the university’s fiscal health, and reality.

Financial consultant Randy Barber, president of the Center for Economic Organizing, was retained to analyze the CSU’s flexibility to shift funds for the purpose of meeting faculty and educational needs.

Instead of simply recapitulating CSU budget documents, which provide only static line items, Barber studied what he and other experts regard as one of the most important factors in the financial vitality of a complex organization: control of cash flow. Toward that end, his report produced tables tracking “cash net income” (analogous to “profit” in the for-profit world) and fluctuations in assets and liabilities (analogous to “working capital”).

Conclusion: The CSU “has significant financial flexibility to readjust budgetary priorities,” Barber told media from across the state today on a telephone conference call.

Not only is there a cumulative five-year positive cash flow of $1.2 billion, Barber added. “The numbers are consistently positive and trending upward…. These are measures of significant strength.”

At the news conference, CFA President Travis noted that the differences between CFA and the CSU administration on salary proposals calculate to about $15 million a year, or $60 million over the life of a four-year agreement.

“I think they’re being evasive—disingenuous—when they say they don’t have the capacity to bridge that gap,” Travis said. “When administrators wanted to come up with more than half a billion dollars for the Common Management System software, they found the money without getting additional funding from the legislature.”

Click here to see CFA’s summary of Randy Barber’s analysis.
Click here to see the full 12-page report.

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Bargaining Update
March 13, 2007

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Bargaining Update
March 6, 2007

FIRST EVER FACULTY STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE BEGINS

On Monday morning faculty across the CSU state began casting the first ballots in a vote to authorize job actions by faculty. This vote by the members of CFA sets the stage for an historic, first-ever work stoppage by the CSU faculty, if a fair contract settlement is not reached with the Reed administration.

Every member of the California Faculty Association is entitled and encouraged to vote. If you are not a CFA member you may join at the voting location and cast a ballot. This is the time for the faculty to let their sentiment be heard.

If you have not yet voted, it is not too late. Every vote is critical to the faculty cause and will help settle the contract.

For details on how to vote on your campus, look for the “Strike Vote” posters on your campus, or call your campus CFA chapter office. Get contacts and other information at http://calfac.org/strikevote.html


HISTORIC STRIKE VOTE SPARKS MASSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE

Statewide news media coverage of CFA’s historic strike vote is unprecedented. For an in-depth survey of primary links to TV, radio and newspaper stories about our impasse with the CSU administration and the possible consequences, be sure to follow the In the News page at CFA’s website (http://calfac.org/inthenews.html), which is updated regularly.

This collective news judgment is eminently justified. Nearly two years of negotiations for a contract in the nation’s largest four-year public university system have been fruitless. Teaching conditions continue to decline while the faculty’s compensation falls further behind inflation and those of faculty at other institutions of higher learning.

The strike vote kicked off with simultaneous news conferences Monday on four of the campuses: Los Angeles, San Diego, East Bay (Hayward) and Sacramento. These events included statements by faculty and regional labor leaders from the California Teachers Association, the Firefighters Union and leaders of Central Labor Councils who pledged support if a strike should occur. TV news broadcast widely images of faculty members at the polls.

As the cameras rolled, CFA leaders spoke passionately to the press about the issues that have led us to this impasse. In reports whose accuracy is universally acknowledged, the neutral and authoritative California Postsecondary Education Commission notes that CSU faculty are paid 18% less than their peers at comparable institutions across the country. Since 2002, faculty salaries have remained stagnant—just one 3.5% raise—while the administration, enabled by a rubber stamp Board of Trustees, has bulked up its own salaries by 23%.

A walkout by CSU faculty would be the largest such action in American public higher education history.

“The media coverage is significant on several fronts,” said John Halcón, the statewide CFA Secretary. “The accuracy level of the reporting, both on TV yesterday and in the newspapers today, has been very impressive. This is a sign that our message—about our members’ interests and about the public’s—is getting through.”

Don’t forget to chime in with your comments, both positive and negative, in letters to the editor. These keep the media on their toes and give us another opportunity to reinforce our message in our voice, with concrete examples. For tips on getting letters published, see http://calfac.org/letter.html

BAKERSFIELD’S 24/7 NEWS REPORTS LEAD THE WAY

At one of the 16 campuses where strike voting began yesterday—Bakersfield—there was not a formal media event pre-scheduled, but the faculty there may have won the prize for the most persistent and spontaneous coverage of the crisis.

This was due largely to the extraordinary efforts of the CFA Bakersfield Chapter team, including strike vote coordinator Bruce Hartsell, Organizing Committee member Pat Henry and Southern California CFA field representative Jackie Teepen. (The statewide Academic Senate’s John Tarjan was also on hand and supportive.)

Marathon coverage started at 5 a.m. (!) with two hours of intermittent live-remote interviews from the CFA office on KBAK-TV (Channel 29), the CBS affiliate. A second round of shooting took place from 9 to 10 a.m., and was edited for inclusion in evening newscasts.

Meanwhile, Chapter President Larry Taylor was in studio at KGET-TV (Channel 17) conducting yet another interview at 6:45 a.m. And not to be outdone, KBFX-TV (Channel 58, Fox) was on location from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m.

Again, we encourage you to settle yourselves in front of the CFA In the News web page, but meanwhile here are links to some of the most important video feeds:

“CSUB faculties picket for better contracts, leadership”
http://www.kget.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=14118;

“CSU educators across the state vote whether to strike”
http://www.eyeoutforyou.com/home/6316427.html

Kudos to our brothers and sisters in Bakersfield!

STRIKE VOTE SCHEDULE; CLARIFICATION—YOUR COMMITMENT CARD WAS NOT YOUR VOTE

Below are the strike vote dates by campus. On 16 campuses, balloting began yesterday and runs through this Thursday, March 8. The other seven campuses vote next Monday, March 12, through Thursday, March 15. For specific times and locations, contact your campus CFA office.

In addition, bear in mind that if you signed a commitment card earlier in which you pledged to vote “yes” for a strike, you still must go to your polling place and cast your vote. The collection of commitment cards was preparation for the actual vote. Plus, the collection of these cards shows the unity and resolve of the CSU faculty on this sobering question. Those were not official, certified votes.

March 5-8: Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Maritime Academy, Monterey Bay, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Marcos, Sonoma, Stanislaus

March 12-15: Fresno, Fullerton, Long Beach, Northridge, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo

Get contacts and other information at http://calfac.org/strikevote.html

YOU MUST BE A CFA MEMBER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STRIKE VOTE—JOIN TODAY

Another important clarification is that only CFA members are eligible to vote for the strike. However, if you are not a member you can join at the table and be immediately eligible to vote.

To find out if you are a CFA member, look at a recent pay stub. If you are a member you will see “DUES-CFA” on the deductions line. If you are not a member, “FS-CFA” or “NONMEM-CFA” will appear on the deductions line, indicating that you are a fee payer and not a member

If you have any doubt about your membership status, you can go to your campus voting location and sign a card to be certain or you can visit the CFA Help Desk online and fill out another membership form. The link is http://www.calfac.org/join.html

All CFA members will be able to cast their ballots in the strike vote either in person at polling places on the campus or by email. As mentioned above, any faculty member who is not yet a member of CFA and wishes to vote may join in person at the polls or as part of the email balloting process. Any eligible faculty member may join at any time before the end of the voting period on that campus and then may cast a ballot in this election.

FACT-FINDING CONCLUDES

Sylvia Skratek, the neutral third party who is coordinating the fact-finding procedures under state public employee labor law, met for the fourth and final time last Thursday with representatives of CFA and the CSU administration.

Skratek, CFA President John Travis and Jackie McClain, the CSU’s vice chancellor for human resources, now will co-author the official fact-finding report. The final report won’t be made available to the public until 10 days after its release to the union and the university. During that period, it is possible that there will be additional bargaining.

After the 10 days, CFA can legally undertake job actions. That eventuality—considered an increasing likelihood—forms the backdrop of the strike vote.

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Bargaining Update
February 27, 2007

FACT-FINDING CONTINUES WEDNESDAY

CFA and the CSU administration will hold their third meeting with state-appointed fact-finder Sylvia Skratek Wednesday as the two sides continue to make their respective cases on how to best end the bargaining impasse.

A fourth and final fact-finding hearing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, should the sides require another meeting.

At the conclusion of the final fact-finding hearing a panel consisting of Skratek, CFA President John Travis and CSU Vice Chancellor of Human Relation Jackie McClain will write a report of their findings.

CFA BOARD AUTHORIZES FIRST-EVER STRIKE VOTE

While CFA leaders continue to hold out hope that the bargaining impasse can be broken through fact finding, the union carries on with preparations for the possibility of job actions.

CFA took a historical first step towards authorizing these job actions last week when its board of directors voted unanimously to authorize a vote of its members on whether or not they want to move forward with a strike.

“We have said all along that we do not want to strike, but we will if that is what is necessary, and it is beginning to look like it is,” said CFA president John Travis, a political science professor at Humboldt State University.

“In fact, the CSU Administration’s ‘take it or leave it’ offer would not allow the faculty to keep up with inflation – despite the false information the Chancellor’s Office has been putting out. The lies and lack of good faith negotiations have only unified the faculty over the last few months,” Travis said.

This will be the first time the CSU faculty has taken a strike vote. If a strike takes place, it will be the largest higher education strike in U.S. history. The voting will take place March 5 through 8 on some campuses and March 12 through 15 on the remaining campuses.

In order to authorize a strike vote, members would need to ratify the strike by a fifty percent plus one margin of those who cast a vote.

STRIKE VOTE SCHEDULE

Voting to authorize potential job actions will take place during the first two weeks of March. You will have four days to vote in person on your campus. You will also be able to vote by email.

Below is a list of dates of when each campus is voting. To find out specific times and voting locations contact your campus CFA office.

March 5-8:

Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Maritime Academy, Monterey Bay, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Marcos, Sonoma, Stanislaus

March 12-15:

Fresno, Fullerton, Long Beach, Northridge, San Francisco, San Jose, San Luis Obispo

REPORTS FROM CAMPUS STRIKE MEETINGS

CFA statewide leaders concluded informational strike meetings last week with successful events at Stanislaus and Northridge. These meetings have been a very effective way of getting faculty across the state engaged and interested in participating in possible job actions.

Here is a report from last week’s meeting submitted by CFA staffer Paola Hernandez:

“We had a great day at CSUN today!

“Our first strike meeting on this campus was well attended by 56 faculty members. It was standing room only and at one point we had to shuffle a few more chairs in, a great problem to have at this type of a meeting.

“All attendees were given the strike meeting hand-outs, in addition to an organizing committee meeting flyer & the ‘I'm Voting Yes’ sign to post outside their offices (some faculty took extra signs for their colleagues). Most faculty left with cards & committed to give them to colleagues in their department.

“Faculty left seeming enthusiastic and some even stayed around after the meeting to discuss how they can help and what they want to do in the future.

“The campus’s second strike meeting held on Thurs, Feb 22 was equally successful.”

SIGN UP TO BECOME A MEMBER, SIGN A COMMITMENT CARD TO VOTE YES

CFA staff and local campus leaders are working vigorously to mobilize faculty members to become union members and to sign a commitment card to vote YES in the strike vote.

To find out if you are enrolled as a CFA member take a glance at a recent pay stub and if there is a deduction marked “union dues” then you are a member if the deduction line reads “agency fee payer” then you are not a member.

To sign up to become a member visit the CFA help desk at: http://www.calfac.org/join.html

To sign a commitment card online today visit: http://www.calfac.org/strike_vote_2007_card.html

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Bargaining Update
February 20, 2007

SECOND FACT FINDING HEARING HELD

CFA and the CSU administration met for the second time Thursday with state-appointed fact-finder Sylvia Skratek to make their respective cases on how to break the bargaining impasse.

At the outset of this second hearing, the fact-finding process enters a period wherein neither side is permitted to discuss the content of the hearing.

The parties are scheduled to meet for perhaps a final time on February 28, and again March 1, if necessary, after which the panel will produce a report on their findings. The report will be made available to the public 10 days after its release.

TRAVIS DEBATES STRAFACI ON KQED

While the issues discussed during fact finding must remain confidential until the statutory process has concluded, some insights were revealed when CFA president John Travis and the Administration’s chief negotiator Sam Strafaci debated in public on radio station KQED’s daily talk show “Forum” last Friday.

They were joined by Leland Yee, Assistant President Pro Tem of the California Senate; CSSA President Nadir Vissanjy; and a number of faculty members who called in to voice their opinions.

“I was glad to hear the administration state that they support our concerns on faculty salaries and the plight of lecturers. Unfortunately the administration has presented a far different case at the bargaining table than they did on the radio,” Travis said.

To listen to KQED's broadcast of the debate visit their archive at: http://www.kqed.org/programs/program-landing.jsp?progID=RD19

CFA HEROES: THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

CFA stands at the precipice of a historic undertaking—a strike in the CSU.

A strike requires careful planning, experienced leadership and the financial resources to maximize its effectiveness. CFA strongly believes these components are in place, and now faculty members face an important choice.

CFA has garnered the support of some of the largest unions in the country. In addition, there is rapidly growing political support and an engaged news media.

Nevertheless, the cornerstone of a successful strike will be the core group of faculty leaders on each campus; CFA has dubbed them Organizing Committees. or "OCs".

We recognize the following faculty members for assuming the leadership of their respective campus OCs, thereby becoming advocates for quality education and an equitable contract. Contact your local CFA field staffer today to become a part of this distinguished group.

Bakersfield - Jacqueline Hughes
Channel Islands - John Yudelson
Dominguez Hills - Leif Torjesen
East Bay - Mark Karplus & Laurie Price
Fresno - Michael Clifton
Fullerton - Mahammood Hassan and Jade Jewett
Humboldt - Milt Boyd
Long Beach - Dennis Kortheuer
LA - Kimberly KinMaritime - Tuuli Messer-Bookman
Monterey Bay -Linda Bynoe
Northridge – David Ballard and Teresa Montano
Pomona - Richard Santillan
Sacramento – Kevin Wehr and Lila Jacobs
San Bernardino - Marcia Marx
San Diego – Mark Wheeler
San Francisco - Jan Gregory
San Jose - Jonathan Karpf
San Luis Obispo - Glen Thorncroft
San Marcos - Mayra Besosa
Sonoma - Elaine McHugh
Stanislaus - Jake Myers and John Sarraille

CAMPUS STRIKE MEETINGS CONTINUE

CFA statewide leaders will conclude informational strike meetings this week when they travel to Stanislaus and Northridge. These meetings provide the faculty – CFA members and non-members alike – with an opportunity to find out the latest in contract talks and get questions answered on the upcoming strike vote and the logistics of possible work actions.

These meetings are also an opportunity for those in attendance to become CFA members and to sign a commitment card to vote yes in a possible strike vote.

Here is the list of upcoming strike meetings; for more information contact your campus CFA office.

Wed. February 21:
Stanislaus, 11-1 pm, Faculty Development Center
Northridge 12-1:30 pm, Sierra Center

Thurs. February 22:
Northridge 12-1:30 pm, Sierra Center

SIGN UP TO BECOME A MEMBER, SIGN A COMMITMENT CARD TO VOTE YES

CFA staff and local campus leaders are currently working vigorously to mobilize faculty to become union members and sign a commitment card to vote YES during a possible strike vote.

To find out if you are currently enrolled as a CFA member, take a glance at recent pay stub; if there is a deduction marked union dues, you are a member. If the deduction line reads “agency fee payer,” you are not a member.

To sign up to become a member visit the CFA help desk at: https://data.calfac.net/fmi/iwp/cgi?-db=CFA&-loadframes

To sign a commitment card online today visit: http://www.calfac.org/strike_vote_2007_card.html

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Bargaining Update
February 13, 2007

STATE-APPOINTED FACT-FINDER NAMED

CFA and the CSU administration have reached an agreement on a fact-finder Monday to oversee the next phase of the statutory bargaining process in the hope of ending the impasse between CFA and the CSU Administration.

Sylvia Skratek, the fact-finder, has tentatively scheduled a first meeting on Feb. 9 for the sides to begin submitting evidence. She will have 30 days to submit a report of her findings and make non-binding recommendations on how the two parties could resolve the impasse.

To find out more about the mediator visit her website: http://www.skratek.com

To stay up-to-date on the latest in CFA’s efforts to resolve the impasse, visit the CFA Bargaining Page

UPDATES FROM STATE-WIDE INFORMATIONAL PICKETS

CFA continues to hold informational pickets on campuses throughout the state to let the administration and public know that - I don’t want to strike, but I will!

Monday’s event at Sacramento was wildly successful as more than 200 faculty members and students turned out for a lunchtime march and rally in the campus quad. One faculty member donned a mascot costume to become the Sacramento State Chicken, which refers to the chickens that roamed campus until CSU Sacramento President Alexander Gonzalez had them removed. Her sign “First they came for the chickens…”

Joining the faculty and students at the rally were State Senator Darrell Steinberg and Assemblyman Anthony Portantino.

“I stand in solidarity with you who perform the essence of public service – teaching, scholarship, research,” said Steinberg. “They haven’t put a decent offer on the table in 20 months. But, I say to you, anything worth having is worth struggling for…not only for yourselves but for future generations. We want people to say, I want to be a teacher and I can make a pretty good living doing it.”

Following speeches by Steinberg, CFA Vice President Lillian Taiz, Sacramento CFA Chapter President Cecil Canton and others, the assembled group led by Portantino marched to the campus administration building.

After marching through the administration building and past President Alexander Gonzalez’s office, the rally reconvened outside where Portantino, who chairs the Committee on Higher Education, pledged to introduce legislation to reform CSU administrative abuses.

Elsewhere, other informational pickets also were successful.

At Fresno, CFA field staffer Brian McNally reports:

“Turnout was great for info picketing in Fresno. I would say we had between 80 and 100 faculty members walking the picket line. At one point, two of the more adventurous members asked if we could march past the president’s office and we ended up marching by in a single file line that was about 200 feet long, as Loretta Kensinger from Women’s Studies led them in some loud chanting outside President Welty’s window.”

At Sonoma, Chapter President Andy Merrifield stated:

“The informational picketing that took place in front of the Commons and in advance of the spring convocation today was a success. Over 85 faculty members participated. Charlie Reed attended in his most realistic guise, as a puppet.

“All in all, a good event. I want to recognize our colleagues who came out in the fog, to chant, carry signs, and sign our cards.”

Additional informational pickets are scheduled this week at Dominguez Hills, Monterey Bay, Fullerton, San Jose and San Diego.

To see the complete schedule of info pickets please visit http://www.calfac.org/infopicket.html

See news reports of these any many other events at
http://www.calfac.org/inthenews.html

LETTER HOME FROM CHANCELLOR SPREADS MISINFORMATION ON BARGAINING

The CSU administration continues to stretch the truth, this time by sending a letter that arrived at the homes of all faculty members last week. The letter, which was sent over the Chancellor’s name, contains the flaws, misrepresentations and outright lies that have characterized the administration’s public statements on bargaining.

The letter refers to the disappearing 24.87% pay increase, and the 36 months—actually four years— that the administration continues to tell the news media it has been on the table.

CFA would sign a contract for 25% for every faculty member over four years tomorrow. Unfortunately 24.87% is not a real figure, but rather the result of Enron-style accounting on behalf of the administration. When all the ifs, ands, and buts are removed, the offer is actually only about 3.7% a year through 2010.

The letter also claims the Chancellor has presented CFA with an “unprecedented” offer he hopes the “hard-working” faculty will accept.

He is half right. The CSU faculty certainly work hard. But it’s worth noting that in the legislature, the Chancellor is claiming the faculty only work “nine months a year.”

As for the offer, it is just is not good enough.

Nowhere does the Chancellor’s letter mention the fact that the faculty lost two years during the budget crisis when we received zero raises. Nor does he address the broken salary structure that imposes an “experience penalty” on large numbers of junior faculty and compression that traps faculty at all ranks at the top of salary ranges.

The dispatch concludes by stating, “the CSU Board of Trustees has made it a priority, to strive to bring faculty salaries up to the level of comparison institutions as soon as possible with a five-year target.” Yet, the administration has yet to put any offer on the table that would even begin to close the ever widening CPEC gap.

To view a comparison of the key issues in bargaining, visit the CFA Bargaining Page

LECTURERS TAKE A STAND ON POSSIBLE STRIKE VOTE

As first mentioned in last week’s CFA Headlines, the CFA Lecturers’ Council unanimously passed a resolution at their January meeting advising Lecturers to vote ‘yes’ in a strike vote.

This resolution represents a significant step in uniting all CFA members as possible job actions draw near. Solidarity among tenured and tenure-track faculty and lecturers – who now make up more than half of CSU faculty – greatly strengthens the union on behalf of every faculty member.

CFA President John Travis thanked the Lecturers’ Council for their efforts saying, “They are not letting the temporary nature of their work keep them from taking a tough stand. They are stepping up to take their place in deciding the future of the CSU. The vote shows that CFA is more unified and stronger than ever.”

Jonathan Karpf, Lecturers’ Council Rep. from San Jose, agreed stating, “We thought it was important to pass this resolution as one of CFA’s great strengths comes from the fact that we are composed of both tenure-track professors and Lecturers. We also wanted to send a message to our Lecturer colleagues that this contract fight is a shared vision.”


CTA PLEDGES TO SUPPORT POSSIBLE CFA WORK ACTIONS

The California Teachers Association unanimously adopted a resolution of support for CFA at their State Council meeting last week.

CFA Secretary John Halcón and 16 other CFA members attended CTA’s State Council where they spent the weekend winning over supporters. Some were so outraged by the administration’s treatment of the faculty that they offered to buy the “I don’t want to strike, but I will” shirts right off their backs to show their support.

“We recognize that there is growing support across the state for CFA and our cause,” Halcón said. “We are gaining momentum and the administration needs to stand up and take notice.”

David A. Sanchez, who was voted president-elect of CTA at the State Council, stated that if CFA initiates job actions CTA will support them.

“We are very happy the CTA board adopted a resolution in support of an equitable contract for CSU faculty,” said CFA President John Travis. “The California State University produces a majority of the teachers for California’s K-12 workforce. We all share in common the need to have a fair salary and just working conditions in the state.”

The resolution reads:

Whereas, the California Faculty Association (CFA) worked diligently to achieve a fair contract with the CSU; whereas, the CSU has refused to negotiate in good faith; whereas, the CFA faculty does not want to strike, but will; whereas, the CFA is an affiliate of the CTA and NEA; therefore, be it resolved that CTA will support CFA in the struggle to gain a fair and just contract in the CSU.

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Bargaining Update
February 6, 2007

CFA, CSU TO BEGIN FACT-FINDING FRIDAY

The CFA and CSU bargaining teams will convene Friday in Los Angles for their first hearing with neutral third-party fact-finder Sylvia Skratek.

Skratek will likely use this initial hearing to set a timetable for fact-finding and layout the ground rules for this state-mandated process. Legal teams from the two parties will also submit background reports to Skratek at the hearing.

Other hearing dates are Feb. 15 and, tentatively, Feb 28.

Look for a special edition of CFA Headlines Friday afternoon to announce the outcome of this initial fact-finding session.

REPORTS FROM STATEWIDE INFO PICKETS

CFA continued to pick up steam and garner support during last week’s informational pickets at Fullerton, San Diego, Monterey Bay and Dominguez Hills. Here are the person-on-the-street accounts of the events from CFA staff.

Field Staffer Chuck Marchese reported:

“Managing to successfully fight off the rain until the end of the event, faculty members gathered in the main quad at CSU Fullerton on Tuesday between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. With union solidarity ballads blaring in the background, they chanted, leafleted and talked with scores of students about the crisis confronting the CSU.”

“Led by Organizing Committee Co-Chair Mahamood Hassan, the picketers marched from the quad to the front of Langsdorf Hall, where campus president Milton Gordon's office is housed. After posing for pictures for The Daily Titan student newspaper, faculty marched to Nutwood Blvd., the main drag in front of the campus, where they continued to picket to supportive honks by passing commuters. All in all, a very successful day in Orange County.”

At San Diego media consultant Favel Jens described the scene:

“Great crowd and great energy. About 160 faculty, with the crowd reaching 250 at the peak. 60 students signed letters to the Chancellor.”

“Fox and Univision came and stayed the entire time. They interviewed a bunch of faculty and students. CBS even sent their helicopter to get aerial shots of the crowd.”

“Special kudos to Chapter President Mark Wheeler. He did some great organizing and did an exceptional job in media interviews.”

At Monterey Bay CFA field staffer Kathy Sheffield reports:

“The day started with small pickets at 7:30 and 9:30 at the campus’ two major points of entry. Faculty members waved signs and encouraged drivers to honk as they drove into campus.”

“The noon picket went well. Chapter President Rafael Gomez welcomed more than 75 people and explained what faculty members are facing with regard to the contract and job actions. Next, Professor and State Academic Senator Mark O'Shea addressed the crowd and called on the CSU to stop the executive perks and settle the contract fairly or risk losing more junior faculty. Karen Davis, Lecturer Representative, also spoke.”

“In addition to CFA members, other unions joined the picket and addressed the crowd. Camille Walker from Academic Professionals of California and Steven Rubin of CSUEU gave short and moving speeches in support of faculty. Monterey Bay Central Labor Council Director Cesar Lara promised all the help CFA can use if comes to a strike. CSUMB students Annette Partida and Yvonne Bravo spoke as well. The speeches were interspersed with chants and a couple of processions around the quad.”

At Dominguez Hills David Bradfield, CFA Associate Vice President South reports:

“For a rainy day it went better than could be expected at Dominguez Hills. There were many faculty on hand who marched, chanted, and carried picket signs in the rain. We improvised what we were doing. It was pouring rain.”

“Our indoor venue turned out to be the giant tent near the sculpture garden. Faculty wore their caps and gowns. We ate, we talked, we marched around campus and handed out flyers. We even ended up marching through the administration building, around the student union and through the SBS building.”

“These are very reverberant environments so our small band of folks made a lot of racket!”

CFA ALLIES PASS RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT

CFA continues to gain momentum toward possible job actions as each week more affiliated organizations, student groups and academic senates pass resolutions in support of CFA’s fight to gain a fair contract.

This week CFA has picked up an endorsement from the American Association of University Professors Collective Bargaining Council (AAUP-CBC):

Whereas, the California Faculty Association (CFA) worked diligently to achieve a fair contract with the CSU;

Whereas, the CSU has refused to negotiate in good faith;

Whereas, the CFA faculty does not want to strike, but will;