Chancellor Ignores Faculty Pleas for Structural Change; Attempts to Swindle Them with Meager One-Time Compensation

After months of repeated calls from faculty to spend the state’s short-term 0% interest loan of $144 million on restoring faculty jobs and reversing program and instruction cuts, CSU Chancellor Mildred García has instead firmly insisted on using the funds for a one-time compensation of 3% of an employee’s salary.

After months of repeated calls from faculty to spend the state’s short-term 0% interest loan of $144 million on restoring faculty jobs and reversing program and instruction cuts, CSU Chancellor Mildred García has instead firmly insisted on using the funds for a one-time compensation of 3% of an employee’s salary. 

On January 5, García sent a “welcome back” e-mail to CSU employees that included a snide remark blaming their employee unions for delaying the distribution of the one-time compensation, one that is taxable and does not count towards an employee’s salary base or pension base. “We continue to look forward to resolving this matter with union leadership so that we can reach agreement and distribute this much-deserved and well-earned compensation to all employee groups as quickly as possible,” she wrote. She also noted that non-union-represented employees (i.e., CSU management—for the most part) would immediately receive this one-time amount in mid-February, suggesting that this is what could have also happened had unions not interfered with the chancellor’s unilateral decision on how to spend the money. 

CFA members won’t be swayed. We know that when managers offer one-time bonuses, they’re a tactic for refusing real salary increases at the bargaining table. García’s tone may appear sympathetic, yet it is a ploy to delegitimize unions by giving salary increases to non-union represented employees before our salary has even been bargained for. In doing so, she wants faculty to harbor animosity towards our union by claiming that we are withholding money from them. We are angered by this bait and switch tactic.  

“The chancellor’s email was insulting. I was at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in November, when they voted for the astronomical raises for the CO and campus presidents,” said Christina Ceisel, CFA Fullerton president and CSU Fullerton professor. “They heard how faculty and workers throughout the CSU are struggling. Meanwhile, we are offered a one-time, un-pensionable, 3% “bonus”, she said. “And we are struggling right now, so it’s tempting to take the money and run,” Ceisel continued. “But it is effectively a pay cut, with no lasting growth. The offer shows a lack of respect for those that do the work of the CSU. We need insist on being respected and compensated for the work we do.” 

The chancellor’s proposed one-time compensation fails to address the lived experiences of faculty who are struggling to meet the rising costs of living. We have to tackle the real issue: the need for sustainable, long-term salary increases. That is why, when we returned to the bargaining table with management on November 21, we proposed that all faculty should receive, at the very minimum, a 10% of the chancellor’s base salary of $795,000. Additionally, we proposed that all faculty receive a Cost of Living Adjustment in the amount of the Consumer Price Index for California Urban areas (CPI-U) for the previous fiscal year plus 2%, effective September 1 of every year. These proposals address the realities that faculty are facing and ensure that compensation keeps pace with the cost of living in California. 

Throughout her tenure as chancellor, García has garnered heavy criticism from faculty, staff, students, and legislators for her lack of transparency, accountability, and her suppression of free speech and academic freedom. Her recent approval of CSU executive raises was not only questionable, but her approach to doing so was dishonest.  

As CFA members, we remain committed to holding the chancellor accountable for her actions. We will continue to fight for fair salaries for all our employees, which are essential for building a CSU where all can thrive.