Cal State professors ratify four-year contract

North County Times 5/8/07

By David Garrick

Professors at Cal State San Marcos and its 22 sister campuses across the state have overwhelmingly ratified a labor contract that includes guaranteed 20.7 percent raises over four years, the faculty labor union announced Monday morning.

The contract, which was forged after two years of contentious negotiations and threats of two-day strikes from the union, was approved by more than 97 percent of professors who cast ballots last week. The number of "yes" votes was 6,388, and the number of "no" votes was 179.

On the San Marcos campus, 140 professors voted "yes" and six voted "no," according to union officials. That is a ratio of 95.8 percent.

The contract will be presented for final approval to the California State University board of trustees during their monthly meeting in Long Beach on May 15 and 16. Union leaders and university administration have said it is likely that trustees will approve the contract, which was negotiated with their input.

Chancellor Charlie Reed said Monday that the union's approval means the university's 24,000 faculty members "are one step closer to receiving their deserved salary increases."

Janet Powell, president of the San Marcos chapter of the faculty labor union, said approval of the contract has brought a sense of relief and accomplishment to CSUSM's professors.

"Everybody is kind of breathing a sigh of relief that it is over," Powell said Monday morning, explaining that a tentative pact reached April 3 was jeopardized last month by friction between the union and the administration over wording in the contract.

"We've heard from the union leadership that there were a few moments when things might fall apart," said Powell, who teaches education at Cal State San Marcos. "Those tense moments made us worried, so we are very happy it went through."

Student leaders on the San Marcos campus said they were feeling a similar sense of relief on Monday as they prepare for next week's final exams.

"Students are relieved that their classes will continue as scheduled and that we will close up the semester with no obstacles," said Caitlin Gelrud, president of the student government. "With the semester coming to an end, it is reassuring to hear news like this."

The four-year pact, which runs through June 2010, includes guaranteed 20.7 percent raises and a package of additional 2 percent to 4 percent pay increases for many faculty members based on longevity and merit pay.

The new contract would increase the average annual salary for full-time professors without tenure from $73,873 to $90,593, and the average annual salary for tenured professors would increase from $86,054 to $105,531.

Untenured lecturers, who make up more than half of the 23,000 professors in the university system, would receive a bump from $53,493 to $65,600 if they are full-time lecturers, and from $43,770 to $53,677 if they are part-timers.

Reed said the university will need help from the state Legislature to afford the pay increases during the 2007-08 school year. The new contract will cost the university about $400 million over four years, he said.

The agreement has bolstered morale among professors on the San Marcos campus, according to education professor Janet McDaniel, who said the administrative team on campus was supportive throughout the process.

"If anything, I think the struggle may have strengthened the faculty's relationship with the administration on this campus," said McDaniel, a member of the union's leadership team.