CSU Faculty: Statewide Strike Possible To Protest Exec. Pay Hikes

NBC-11 San Francisco 1/30/07

Professors and students rallied Monday at California State University, Sacramento to protest stalled contract negotiations. The protest in Sacramento will spread to all 23 CSU campuses statewide, NBC11's Mike Luery reported.

Some faculty members said they are fed up with contract negotiations and a 4 percent pay increase for university executives.

"We'll have to go out there and do what we can to get our own. We're going to do that," said Cecil Canton of the California Faculty Association.

When asked about a possible strike, Canton said, "If it means strike, that's what we'll do."

Students are facing a proposed 10 percent fee hike that would cost them an extra $250.

"(Students) don't like it. Already students are really poor. Books cost a lot. It's really expensive to be a student, especially at CSU here in California," said Sacramento State senior Christina Johnson.

The university is offering faculty a 24 percent raise over 3 years, and said executive pay hikes are necessary to recruit the best and the brightest.

"With our presidents, just as with our faculty, we're lagging behind the national average. So as far as being able to compete and attract the top candidates, we're really struggling right now," said CSU Association Vice President Frank Whitlatch.

California's Lt. Gov. John Garamendi spoke out against the pay hikes for university executives. "The signals are pretty clear," Garamendi said. "The highest-paid executives get there first; the students and faculty last.

Garamendi was the only CSU trustee to vote against the executive pay hike last week.

Faculty said they will be marching at San Jose State University on Wednesday and San Francisco State University on Feb. 7