Chancellor García thought sending a tactless e-mail to faculty members about receiving an underhanded one-time bonus pay would appease us from bargaining over salary. It had the opposite effect. Faculty were deeply insulted, and CFA filed an unfair practice charge against the chancellor. 

On August 13, 2026, The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) issued a complaint regarding CFA’s one-time compensation charge. CSU management has 20 days to file an answer to PERB’s complaint, and PERB has scheduled an informal settlement conference on September 18. 

The initial charge was brought forth on April 15, 2026, against Chancellor García for an e-mail she sent directly to all CSU employees on January 5, 2026, announcing that they would all receive a one-time, taxable 3% bonus. 

However, her message both implied and blamed CSU unions for preventing represented employees from receiving this compensation. Not only is this narrative false, but the chancellor’s behavior violates state labor law; it is illegal.  

She interfered with employee rights guaranteed by the Higher Education Employer Employee Relations Act (HEERA) and failed to give the union notice or an opportunity to bargain over this matter. Ultimately, this action functioned as a veiled attempt to discourage employees from either joining or upholding trust in our unions. 

Unsurprisingly, García’s endeavor to stifle collective bargaining and undermine our solidarity fell flat. Faculty and staff viewed her actions as disrespectful, dismissing the real value of our work in the CSU. 

Adding insult to injury, García recently released a faculty compensation study that tried to convince us that we were getting paid fairly, while simultaneously claiming that CSU executives, many of whom earn $500,000 and upwards, don’t make nearly enough money in public education. The report was released on a Friday afternoon – a time when few people pay attention – and it reinforces the idea that García wanted to keep this embarrassing report out of the spotlight. 

We will not cave to her atrocious attempt to shortchange faculty. Regarding our salary proposal, we are demanding the following: 

  • A minimum salary of 10% of the chancellor’s base pay, or $79,500 
  • An annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment measured by the Consumer Price Index + 2% 
  • 2.65% Service Salary Increase (SSIs) every year for those eligible 
  • 2.65% Post-Promotion Increases (PPI) in 2025-26 and 2027-28 for those eligible 
  • An expansion of the system-wide equity program from $2 million to $10 million 

If you haven’t done so already, please pledge your solidarity with CFA if you are a member. Help us with our “Fund the Classroom” campaign, participate in campus actions and activities, attend our bargaining meetings, and talk to your colleagues about becoming a member or getting more involved in our efforts to secure a strong contract. 

Join CFA
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