Strike proposal OK'd by CSU faculty; Two-day walkouts could begin in April
North County Times 3/22/07
More than 81 percent of the 10,000 professors who are members of the union participated in the vote, but another 13,000 professors were ineligible to vote because they do not pay union dues.
Union officials, who called the turnout impressive, said that many professors who have not joined the union work part time and are therefore not as involved in campus politics.
Union leaders said no specific dates have been set for the strike, which would be the first work stoppage in the history of the university system. But they said Wednesday that the walkouts would begin sometime in April and likely extend into early May.
The job actions would begin with professors not reporting to work at a handful of campuses on two consecutive school days. When those professors return to work, their colleagues at another handful of campuses would go on two-day strikes.
Union leaders said Wednesday that walkouts would occur at each of the 23 campuses, unless a new contract is reached during the process. They chose rolling walkouts rather than a full-blown strike to minimize the impact on the system's 400,000 students, according to the union president, John Travis.
Charles Reed, chancellor of the university system, said Wednesday that his administration has gone to great lengths to avoid a strike and to offer the type of salary raises that the union is seeking.
The administration has conceded that faculty salaries would need a bigger boost to compare favorably with public universities in other states, but has also said that limited state resources prevent more generous raises at this time.
Reed said he remains hopeful that a new contract can be forged before anyone walks out.
"While we cannot reveal specific details, we are doing everything we can to come up with a settlement agreement," said Reed. "We hope that (Wednesday's) announcement does not signal a predetermined outcome on behalf of the faculty union."
Union officials said Wednesday that they remain hopeful a new contract can be forged and walkouts avoided.
"We don't want to strike, but the administration has been extremely obstinate in the past six months," Travis said during a Wednesday morning news conference at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles County. "They have refused to bring anything new to the table."
Reed also said that all 23 campuses have contingency plans in place in case a strike occurs, but did not elaborate.
After the voting results were announced, faculty leaders on the San Marcos campus began working out the logistics of potential picketing and devising ways to keep students informed.
Janet McDaniel, an education professor at San Marcos, said Wednesday that many of her colleagues have begun signing up to picket during certain hours and at specific campus entrances.
McDaniel said that a strike seems more likely now, even though there is still a chance for a last-minute settlement.
She said that professors in San Marcos are "amazed" and "gratified" that the vote indicated such strong unity among the faculty. But professors are also anxious to learn when the strike will hit San Marcos and how the university's 9,000 students can be given adequate notice, she said.
Janet Powell, president of the union's San Marcos campus chapter, said students will get at least 48 hours notice before the strike hits San Marcos, but she was not sure how they would be notified.
"I don't have a way to e-mail all students, but I am working with the student government to figure it out," said Powell, an education professor.
Powell said she met recently with the campus police chief and the administrator who oversees the police to discuss the potential strike.
"We went over what we can expect from each other during the walkouts," said Powell. "We're not particularly angry with the administration on our campus. We just want the administration of the university system to come to its senses."
Administrators at the San Marcos campus said Wednesday that their priority will be to minimize the impact on students.
Mary Elizabeth Stivers, associate vice president of academic resources, said students will be told to attend classes during the strike, if it happens, but they will not be pressured.
"We're saying, 'you need to come to campus because there will be some faculty who come to work,' " said Stivers. "But we are not putting any pressure on them because it's their decision."
A small group of San Marcos students have pledged to join the picket lines, but the student government on campus has declined to take a position on the strike.
Roy Lee, president of the student government, said Wednesday that many students want to see professors receive the compensation they are due. But he also said students are confused and worried how they will be affected.
Election results for individual campuses were not made available on Wednesday. Powell said about 175 of the 220 full-time professors at San Marcos are union members.