Unrest at CSU

San Francisco Chronicle 3/22/07

When 94 percent of 8,129 faculty members from 23 California State University campuses vote in favor of a strike, that is a sign of deep discontent among those who matter most at a university -- those who educate the students.

In an e-mail to his faculty, San Francisco State President Robert Corrigan described the standoff as "the most painful and divisive faculty collective-bargaining process I have seen in my 19 years." Tensions between faculty and the university administration have reached an unacceptable, and both sides must work to ratchet down the level of conflict.

It's time to come to an agreement so that a strike is avoided.

The ingredients for the unhealthy brew are clear: unhappiness about salaries and perks extended to various senior administration officials without adequate public disclosure, another student fee (read tuition) increase, and a restive faculty who feel they are underpaid (based on faculty salaries at 20 other comparable institutions nationwide).

Unfortunately, some members of the California Faculty Association have gone beyond the bounds of acceptable discourse by hounding Chancellor Charles Reed, and interrupting his public appearances, including those as far afield as Raleigh, N.C., and San Antonio.

But despite the unpleasantness of these encounters, the CSU leadership has no choice but to figure out a way to break out of this unacceptable impasse.

CSU's major focus must be providing a world-class education to its students, and ensuring they graduate on time. That's the terrain on which both the faculty and the administration should be working hand-in-hand. But before they get to that point, there is urgent work to be completed at the bargaining table.