Spring Break
CFA strike postponed
Contract agreement reached, not yet ratified
Jamie Gonzales and Nika Megino
Issue date: 4/3/07 Section: News
UPDATED: 5:10 P.M.
The California State University rolling strikes have been delayed due to a tentative agreement made between the CSU and the California Faculty Association.
CFA President John Travis said both parties agreed on the faculty contract, per ratification of the agreement.
The terms of the new contract guarantee a nearly 21 percent pay raise over four years for all faculty, with some members eligible for pay hikes exceeding 31 percent.
Travis said that CFA is satisfied with the agreement.
"We pretty much got everything that we'd asked for," Travis said.
CSU's last offer was a 24.87 percent salary increase without step increases to be distributed within four years. The new offer will include step increases for eligible faculty members, "making the package worth 24.87 percent," according to the press release.
Another $28 million will be used to establish two merit-based programs: One to increase junior faculty compensation and the other to give raises to senior faculty "who have reached the top of the pay scale."
CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said the agreement stemmed from the neutral fact-finder's recommendations.
"This agreement strikes a realistic balance between providing deserved raises to our faculty and our limited financial resources," Reed said, adding that faculty are the university's "greatest asset."
Base salary increases under the agreement would raise the average salary for a tenure-track faculty member from $74,000 to $90,749. The average salary for a full-time tenured professor would jump from $86,000 to $105,465 by the end of the contract period.
CFA Vice President Lillian Taiz said she hopes the relationship between the CSU and CFA will improve with this agreement.
CSU Board of Trustees Chair Roberta Achtenberg said she was pleased about the agreement.
"This is good news for everybody, including our 417,000 students, and we look forward to moving ahead with getting our faculty their salary increases," Achtenberg said.
Taiz said this week that the contract language will be finalized by the CSU. Afterwards, the CFA will review the contract. If the members agree on the language, the contract should be ratified within a few weeks.
"We expect our members to ratify (this contract)," Travis said.
Michelle Tiley, a junior psychology major, said the CFA knows what's best for its professors.
"If they say that holding off on a faculty strike is the best thing then it's the best thing," Tiley said. "That being said, I would have really enjoyed getting two days off."
Before this announcement, Sacramento State's two-day strike was scheduled for Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 12.
Junior finance major Kyte Castillo said each side is forgetting about the students.
"I agree that teachers should be paid well but everybody seems to be forgetting why they're here," Cavanaugh said. "They're here for the students. Threatening to strike doesn't help anyone, especially students."
Danielle Riley, a senior English major, would be glad to see the negotiations come to an end.
"If the offer is substantial they should take it," Riley said. "There' no point in dragging his out any longer."
Ashley Evans and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Check statehornet.com for updates.
Jamie Gonzales and Nika Megino can be reached at news@statehornet.com
The California State University rolling strikes have been delayed due to a tentative agreement made between the CSU and the California Faculty Association.
CFA President John Travis said both parties agreed on the faculty contract, per ratification of the agreement.
The terms of the new contract guarantee a nearly 21 percent pay raise over four years for all faculty, with some members eligible for pay hikes exceeding 31 percent.
Travis said that CFA is satisfied with the agreement.
"We pretty much got everything that we'd asked for," Travis said.
CSU's last offer was a 24.87 percent salary increase without step increases to be distributed within four years. The new offer will include step increases for eligible faculty members, "making the package worth 24.87 percent," according to the press release.
Another $28 million will be used to establish two merit-based programs: One to increase junior faculty compensation and the other to give raises to senior faculty "who have reached the top of the pay scale."
CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed said the agreement stemmed from the neutral fact-finder's recommendations.
"This agreement strikes a realistic balance between providing deserved raises to our faculty and our limited financial resources," Reed said, adding that faculty are the university's "greatest asset."
Base salary increases under the agreement would raise the average salary for a tenure-track faculty member from $74,000 to $90,749. The average salary for a full-time tenured professor would jump from $86,000 to $105,465 by the end of the contract period.
CFA Vice President Lillian Taiz said she hopes the relationship between the CSU and CFA will improve with this agreement.
CSU Board of Trustees Chair Roberta Achtenberg said she was pleased about the agreement.
"This is good news for everybody, including our 417,000 students, and we look forward to moving ahead with getting our faculty their salary increases," Achtenberg said.
Taiz said this week that the contract language will be finalized by the CSU. Afterwards, the CFA will review the contract. If the members agree on the language, the contract should be ratified within a few weeks.
"We expect our members to ratify (this contract)," Travis said.
Michelle Tiley, a junior psychology major, said the CFA knows what's best for its professors.
"If they say that holding off on a faculty strike is the best thing then it's the best thing," Tiley said. "That being said, I would have really enjoyed getting two days off."
Before this announcement, Sacramento State's two-day strike was scheduled for Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 12.
Junior finance major Kyte Castillo said each side is forgetting about the students.
"I agree that teachers should be paid well but everybody seems to be forgetting why they're here," Cavanaugh said. "They're here for the students. Threatening to strike doesn't help anyone, especially students."
Danielle Riley, a senior English major, would be glad to see the negotiations come to an end.
"If the offer is substantial they should take it," Riley said. "There' no point in dragging his out any longer."
Ashley Evans and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Check statehornet.com for updates.
Jamie Gonzales and Nika Megino can be reached at news@statehornet.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Nathan Stubbs
posted 4/04/07 @ 10:54 AM PST
This is great news! Many thanks to the neutral fact finder Sylvia Skratek. We all hope things can return to normal. With the Faculty satisfied, the students win too. (Continued…)
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