September Wrap Up!

Hey, Everyone!

The opening six weeks of the 2025/26 school year have been off to a busy start! Our Union has been busy, too!!

Here’s what your Union has been up to in September, as well as some things that you should be putting on your radar for the future. 

We have been busy on Campus! 

• In our meetings with the President and Provost, we encouraged them to be more responsive to International Faculty. As a result, on October 13th, the President and the Provost hosted  an  International Faculty Open Forum. We pushed campus administration for increased support for those faculty concerned with the changes coming from the federal government and for bureaucratic barriers on our campus. We were present at the meeting and will be following up with the Provost to ensure that changes are made to better support International Faculty. 
• RTP Updates: We worked with Academic Affairs on a memo that gives guidance to faculty on how to document the impacts of federal cuts and travel changes in their Retention, Tenure and Promotion files. If you have been concerned with how changes are going to be addressed in the RTP files, make sure you read through the memo! Without the CFA, who knows how this would have gone!?

• At the General Membership Meeting on Sept. 17th, we discussed our upcoming plans for the academic year! Lots of great support came out of the event. We heard from folks concerned about doxxing of faculty and/or the recording of classroom content during class time. We are in conversations with the University about faculty protections  in such instances. Until we have more to share, please take a look at this informational resource from Inside Higher Ed, 7 Tips to Keep You Safe Online, which covers some areas of which to be mindful as we navigate our uncertain world.
  
• Related: October 27th, 4:30-6:00pm, we are hosting an Academic Freedom Workshop where people can discuss the escalating threats to academic freedom spreading at alarming rates across colleges and universities. We want to hear about your concerns inside and outside the classroom. Let’s imagine how we can organize in defense of ourselves and one another in this repressive landscape. Interested in attending? Please RSVP by Oct. 13 for accommodations and dinner. 
  
• College Advocates (Hyperlink to “What is a College Advocate”) are leading the charge at a grassroots level on campus and our numbers are growing! Recently, we discussed challenges in onboarding and inclusion faced by lectures. In response, CFA is preparing a guide that will provide information on how to access materials and resources lecturers need when they are hired at Sac State. The College Advocates were also instrumental in developing the upcoming Academic Freedom Workshop. Join us every first and third week of the month on Tuesdays from 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm OR Thursdays from 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm. If you are interested, email Lina Rincón: lrincon@calfac.org 
  
• CFA OUTING ALERT! We also hosted a social event! CFA invited everyone to watch the Hornet Women’s Soccer match on Sunday Sept. 28th!. Thanks to our Membership & Organizing team, we were able to cheer on the Women’s Soccer team as they faced off against Northern Arizona! Stingers up! Keep an eye on our social media for other upcoming family-oriented, union fun, like a night out with the CFA watching the Concert Choir performing. 
  
  

It’s Not Just Garbage: A Momentary Collective Win!

• We were able to push back on the university’s attempt to change the garbage collection and removal processes on campus at the start of the fall semester. It might not have seemed like a big deal at time, but this was in fact, A HUGE DEAL FOR LABORERS LIKE US. The collection and removal of garbage is labor that fits into the job descriptions of union-protected people that we work alongside. These processes were changed without consultation. If we are asked to do their labor, we are actively undercutting our collective union strength. We were able to get the university to agree that the decision was a poor one and needs to be discussed with the impacted parties: those who would be taking on more labor (CFA) and those whose labor they were trying to replace (CSUEU). This won’t be the last of our discussion of trash, or the garbage decisions the administration makes at times. As our talks continue, expect us to fight for labor, always – ours, that of our co-workers on this campus, and those in our surrounding community!

Legislative Work: Using Our Presence at the Capitol

• Our work and outreach at the State Capitol has been felt in a couple significant ways. Thanks to the work of our Political Action/Legislative (PA/LEG) chapter team, and supported by unionwide efforts, two of the four bills CFA sponsored were signed by Gov. Newsom. Read about these bills in the statewide newsletter sent a couple weeks ago. We continue to use our voice to support those who cannot. If you are interested in adding your voice to the chorus and shaping CFAs legislative actions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our chapter’s PA/LEG Chair, Andrea Terry: aterry@calfac.org

Community Work: Beyond our Halls

• MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW: We are supporting the YES on Prop 50 campaign, along with the California Labor Federation and other sibling unions. Sign up for a canvassing event, occurring weekly, with the Central Labor Council today! If you want to get involved with the work on campus, contact Andrea Terry aterry@calfac.org. 
  
• Our work in the community also continues. As part of the Sacramento labor movement, CFA is supporting the unionization campaign by Unite Here Local 49 at Sky River Casino. They are asking the community to complete a short survey in support of their work. Even if you’ve never been to the casino, add your voice! 
• Finally, check in with our friends at NorCal Resist for trainings on observing immigration enforcement (ICE Watch) and accompanying migrants to court (Court Watch), plus free brake light repair events, farm work days at Seeds of Solidarity, English classes and more. Look at NorCal Resist’s calendar for dates that work with your schedule.  

Thanks for Catching up with Us!

We all make up this union. Our hands are the work that makes it great and powerful. 

Sacramento Chapter Executive Board, CFA