Letter: Better pay helps everyone

Enterprise-Record 3/17/07

Faculty at Chico State and other California State University campuses have been in negotiations for a fair contract for almost two years. The E-R's assertion that good raises are being offered by administration is not true. The CSU's 14 percent salary offer (with 10 percent smoke-and-mirrors contingent raises) over four years is not enough to keep pace with inflation, let alone compete with sister institutions for quality employees.

The impact is felt not only by faculty who have faced a 20 percent to 25 percent increase in their student workload over the past several years with no increase in compensation, but also by 17,000 students who have seen decreased quality in their educational experiences and outcomes.

In addition, faculty bring in millions of dollars annually in grant money to support the north state in areas such as teacher education, traffic safety, and health care — programs that benefit everyone. Faculty also supervise hundreds of students a semester in their service-learning projects and internships in the community, adding thousands of hours of service to youth, the elderly or the homeless. The inability to attract and retain quality faculty to Chico State is everyone's concern, not just that of a handful of people. Please support Chico State faculty in their pursuit of a fair and competitive contract.

— Susan Marie Green, Chico