Happy with Your Current Salary? Don’t Sign the Pledge Card
“I’m not signing the pledge card because I am completely satisfied with my salary, thrilled about having no ongoing raises for the next several years, and I’m perfectly fine watching my purchasing power decline with inflation,” said no faculty member ever.
Yet, that is exactly the message you’re sending if you don’t pledge solidarity to take action for a strong contract.
From August 2023 to August 2026, the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) increased by nearly 9%. Yet, Chancellor García expects us to continue working for the next several years without a single ongoing raise.
The consequences here are serious. If we don’t win a good contract in this round of bargaining, it means each faculty member could face a significant pay cut of tens of thousands of dollars in the coming years. As inflation continues to climb, what our paychecks can afford us will greatly decrease.
But if we commit to fighting together, we can secure the fair compensation we deserve.
If you’re not a CFA member, now is not the time to sit this one out because of disagreement, uncertainty, or a reluctance to contribute 1.35% of your gross monthly pay in union dues. The issue has never been more straightforward: If you want a raise, then becoming a member, signing the pledge card, and showing up to our job actions is the only way you’re going to get one.
By not becoming a member, you’re hampering your and your colleagues’ ability to win our following salary proposals:
- A minimum salary of $79,500
- An ongoing annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) (measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index) plus an additional 2%
- 2.65% Service Salary Increases (SSIs) every year for those who qualify
- 2.65% Post Promotion Increases (PPIs) for 2025-26 and 2027-28 for those who qualify
- A systemwide equity program expansion from $2 million to $10 million to help address salary inversion and salary compression
If you are a member, encourage others to join. Make sure to sign this pledge card to let the Bargaining Team, your colleagues, and the chancellor know that you will do what it takes to ensure that we are all recognized for our work and compensated fairly for the next several years.
We either do this together, or we risk losing the salaries we deserve.
In union,
Margarita Berta-Ávila
President, California Faculty Association
Professor of Education, College of Education
Sacramento State University
I live, work, and organize on the Miwok, Maidu, and Nisenan lands. COUNTDOWN TILL SOLIDARITY PLEDGE CLOSES
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