CFA Members Gear Up for a Fair Contract at Fall Assembly, Including a Strike Authorization Vote

CFA delegates and member leaders gathered from across the state to attend CFA’s Fall Assembly this past weekend. There, members set their minds on getting strike ready, shaped CFA policies, deliberated on resolutions, and cultivated their organizing skills, all with the goal of winning a strong contract and improving our public higher education system. 

BIG NEWS: CFA Board of Directors also approved the dates for the upcoming Strike Authorization Vote (SAV), which will take place between October 26 through November 19. CFA members should receive an electronic ballot in their e-mails soon. 

During the Assembly, Margarita Berta-Ávila, CFA president and Sacramento State professor, wanted members to be honest about how we navigate relationships in politically challenging times.  

She shared a story about her recent experience with our union siblings at the California Gig Workers Union, whose years of unionizing and organizing gig drivers taught us why collective action matters. 

“For them, it was about family and a fight for survival,” said Berta-Ávila. “It was about not having to work 16-hour days so they can spend time with their children while putting food on the table.” 

Many of them entered into the union fight at different times, but all of them knew they were in it for the long haul. 

“One of the members said, ‘Without workers, there is no union, and without unions, there is no future,’” Berta-Ávila echoed. “So, they fought for their union—they fought to be seen.” 

Reflecting on their story, Berta-Ávila turned to her own colleagues and invited them to revisit their commitment to solidarity even amid disagreement. 

“I believe strongly in rigorous, honest dialogue that includes disagreements and various points of view,” she said. “Conflict and tension can be healthy when it pushes us to build upon our own ideas. It’s a both-and’ framework, not an ‘either-or’ framework, and we need to find that throughline together.” 

She emphasized that solidarity requires more than just moral posturing, but a recognition of what we envision for the future. 

“We cannot give up on our solidarity in the context of a collectivist framework,” Berta-Ávila continued. “It calls on our interconnectedness to move collectively, and it calls on us to invite each other to move together—to recognize that what you do, what we do, matters. Solidarity is essential, but it cannot be performative. It is not enough to say we are united, but we must critically reflect on what the goal of our solidarity is for. And I know that we are each organizing for justice, respect, and dignity for our faculty.” 

A panel featuring Bryant Odega and Luis Mora gave members varied perspectives on how to organize for a successful strike.

Odega, a member of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) Harbor Area Steering Committee and UTLA’s Political Action Council of Educators (PACE), shared his experience with nearly three back-to-back strikes between 2019 to 2026. The most recent authorized strike was called off because the threat of a strike was so powerful.

For Odega, it was critical that teachers recognize themselves as workers, especially when management tries to make us feel like we are all different from one another rather than as a collective with shared interests. He also explained that many of the members did not identify as activists, but all of them grew to understand how important it was to be on the picket line and to be supported while doing so. 

“Fear can be an isolating effect,” Odega said, referring to why workers may be hesitant to take action. “And when you feel powerless, you must counter this by reminding yourself and others why our fight is important and why our students are worth fighting for.” 

Mora, a member of UTLA’s Bargaining Team and PACE, remarked that, as teachers, we are helping build the future. 

“Our contract campaigns come and go, but education is forever,” said Mora. “These campaigns are opportunities to build community power. Our students and the public are watching, and the power of these public campaigns is part of a broader social movement that we are building.” 

After the panelist discussion, attendees moved to attend workshops hosted by other CFA members and staff that focused on strike readiness, strike preparation, and spokesperson training. 

At Assembly, member delegates also voted to pass proposed resolutions. The results of those resolutions are being finalized, and final language for those resolutions will be available on our Resolutions page soon. 

Delegates also elected Andrea Terry, CFA Sacramento Political Action & Legislation Committee (PAC-LEG) chair and Communication Studies professor, as one of the new unionwide PAC-LEG Committee members. 

Berta-Ávila praised Nena Tórrez, whose term as a PAC-LEG Committee member had just concluded, for her years of service and leadership. Tórrez, who was part of the Chicanx/Latinx tri-chair leadership, played an important role in bringing Berta-Ávila into the work and help her navigate her own realities. 

We also recognized three CFA staff members for their commitment to our work and public higher education: 

• Blanca Castañeda, CSU Northridge field representative, for 25 years of service 

• Craig Flannery, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo field representative, for 10 years of service 

• Vincent Cevasco, CFA director of research, for 10 years of service 

In closing, Berta-Ávila reiterated the importance of solidarity. “Whether it be through our resolutions, or the work we did in our workshops, or conversations we had during times where we broke bread together or were just passing through, we have to be able to take that and make change and create a stronger and always better union,” she said. “I believe in that strength with all my heart and all my spirit. I believe in the strength of who we are. And in these next couple months, it’s about turning inward and holding on together.”