The California State University (CSU) and California Faculty Association (CFA) are currently at an impasse over salary negotiations for the 2015-16 fiscal year. The State Mediation and Conciliation Service has appointed a mediator who will assist in trying to get both sides to move toward an agreement. The first mediation session will be held on Aug 31 in Sacramento.
John J. Sarraille, CFA Chapter President and Computer Science Professor, describe what salary would be acceptable and his thoughts on the mediation session.
“The faculty is asking for a five percent cost of living increase, which would go to all the faculty. We’re also asking for a step increase which will go to some of the faculty, some people would get a little more money based on experience. The university was offering us two percent a couple of years ago, and since then, partly with our help the university has gotten 97 million more dollars.” Serraille said, “I’m not optimistic about it (the mediation) at all frankly because, I have seen many of these over many years and the mediation step never results in an agreement. What usually happens it that we have to go to a point of some kind of job action.”
The website for the California State University explains why they feel they haven’t been unfair with the CFA.
According to calstate.edu, “In 2014-15, we provided a 3 percent compensation pool which resulted in roughly 3.5 percent average increases for continuing faculty. Within this pool, nearly 2,100 lecturers received a median increase of almost 16 percent, with some receiving as much as 40 percent. Other increases also took place with about 75 percent of promoted faculty receiving increases exceeding 7.5 percent. In addition, local campus equity programs are underway with a projected total investment this year of an additional 14.5 million dollars. The number of faculty in the CSU are also at an all-time high with 740 tenure-track faculty hired in 2014- 15 and more than 800 searches currently underway for 2015-16. Moreover, we are investing 11 million dollars this year to increase the number of tenure-track faculty,” 
The previous agreement of salary for CFA members are listed under Article 31 Section 8 of the 2014-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“All tenure-track faculty unit employees whose base salary as of July 1, 2014 is below the Service Salary Increase (SSI) maximum shall receive a 3 percent base salary increase effective July 1, 2014. However, the percentage increase shall not result in an employee’s salary increasing to an amount above the SSI max,”
“All temporary faculty unit employees with 3-year appointments under provisions 12.12 or 12.13 whose base salary as of July 1, 2014 is below the Service Salary Increase (SSI) maximum shall receive a 3 percent base salary increase effective July 1, 2014. Temporary faculty unit employees who receive initial three-year appointments under provision 12.12 in 201/15 and whose salary is below the Service Salary maximum shall receive a 3 percent base salary increase effective with the start of the initial 3-year appointment. . However, the percentage increase under this provision shall not result in an employee’s salary increasing to an amount above the SSI maximum,”
“All coaching faculty employees with six or more consecutive years of service at a campus in the same classification and whose base salary as of July 1, 2014 is below the Service Salary Increase (SSI) maximum shall receive a 3 percent base salary increase effective July 1, 2014. However, the percentage increase shall not result in an employee’s salary increasing to an amount above the SSI maximum,”
Salary Re-openers are outlined under Section 31 Articles 9 and 10.
“Salary for Years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 shall be subject to negotiation between the parties on thirty (30) days written notice by either party. Negotiations for these years shall commence no earlier than May 1, 2015 for Year 2015-2016 and May 1, 2016 for Year 2016-2017 and no later than June 30, 2015 for Year 2015-2016 and June 30, 2016 for Year 2016-2017,”
“If during the meet and confer process over salary, the parties cannot reach an agreement on the amount of the salary increases for these years, Article 9 shall be suspended or, as an alternative, the parties may jointly agree to submit the issue to a mediation/arbitration process,”
Article 9 outlines concerted activities.
9.1 “During the life of this agreement, faculty unit employees shall not engage in strikes or other concerted activity that would interfere with or adversely affect the operations or the mission of the CSU,”
9.2 “The CFA shall not promote, organize or support any strike or other concerted activity,”
9.3 “The CFA shall endeavor to prevent faculty unit employees from participating in a concerted activity which would interfere with or adversely affect the operations or the mission of the CSU,”
9.4 “During the life of this Agreement, the CSU shall not lock out faculty unit employees,”