CFA Members ‘Concretize the Possibilities Together’ at Spring 2026 Kickoff

Nearly 200 CFA members connected and strategized with each other in Sacramento for our empowering Spring 2026 Kickoff on February 7. The event featured workshops ranging from connecting bargaining proposals with organizing to practicing mocking up bill language.

Other workshops included practicing our community agreements and communicating effectively with the public and the press. Members also created art — including CFA earrings! — to help bring our organizing goals to life.

Margarita Berta-Ávila, CFA President and CSU Sacramento professor, said it’s on all of us to move as anti-racism, social justice humanists in the wake of killings by ICE and police brutality. She added CFA members must organize unapologetically to liberate the CSU.

“We are here to concretize the possibilities together,” Berta-Ávila said. “Organizing collectively to remember each other’s humanity in our work as we push back on the austerity illusion that has fueled the closures of departments, layoffs of our union siblings, the attacks on academic freedom, the right to organize within positions of time, place and manner, the dangers of ICE and police force surrounding the communities of our campuses, while the CSU Board of Trustees, presidents, Millie [García] – who is perpetuating Trump’s fascist agenda – have gone forward with giving themselves raises when our folk are barely holding on.”

At the same time, Berta-Ávila highlighted our recent wins together. She noted how the Dominguez Hills CFA chapter’s actions convinced the campus administration to cancel program eliminations. She also drew attention to our settlement with management requires them to provide notice to employees as soon as reasonably practicable before complying with any subpoena for employees’ personal information related to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s investigation of alleged antisemitism on campuses.

Additionally, Berta-Ávila gave kudos to the Bargaining Team for presenting more than a dozen proposals and holding an inspiring bargaining strategy meeting a couple of days before kickoff. She referenced how CFA helped pass Proposition 50 in the fall by canvassing and phone banking, too.

Members and staff also announced the CFA Leadership Academy at kickoff. The training program is designed to develop leaders in our union and will focus on anti-racism and social justice unionism, leadership development, organizational knowledge, and core labor skills with an emphasis of understanding our own structures, decision-making processes, and collective power.

The pilot of the academy will take place April 24 through 26 and will be limited to 50 people. Opportunities to sign up will be shared in the near future.

Click link below for photo gallery.