Bargaining between the Cal State University and the California Faculty Association broke down Saturday, two days after the groups resumed negotiations.
The two sides are blaming each other for the stall, with the CFA accusing the CSU of “flip-flopping” and the CSU saying the faculty union “walked out of negotiations … without offering any counter proposals.”
According to Gail Brooks, CSU vice chancellor of human resources, the only remaining issue between the two sides is union leave time for the CFA president and political action committee positions.
But the CFA disagrees.
According to Alice Sunshine, a CFA spokeswoman, there are still a “whole number of issues” left to discuss, including faculty workload or class sizes.
“We feel [these issues] are really important,” Sunshine said.
The next step in bargaining involves the introduction of a neutral party fact-finder. This fact-finder will hear arguments from both groups and then make a recommendation based on these arguments.
After the fact-finder releases its recommendations, the CSU is allowed to make its last offer to the faculty union. If the union rejects this offer, legally it can strike.
The CFA overwhelmingly approved a strike authorization last week.
Faculty protest
The CFA also plans to engage in a “peaceful protest” at today’s CSU Board of Trustees meeting.
The protest will focus primarily on the “priority” the board gives to “raising top executive pay,” according toSunshine.
Students for Quality Education is not directly involved in the protests but Sunshine said that some members would participate.
SQE has staged a hunger strike centered on what the group considers unfair presidential compensation in the wake of severe cuts to higher education, mirroring concerns that will be highlighted in today’s faculty protest.
“SQE and CFA has some overlap,” Sunshine said, explaining that some SQE members are involved in a CFA internship program aimed at training community organizers.
“We don’t tell them what to do,” the CFA spokesperson said. “They have their own issues.”
The CSU Board will meet publicly today at 10:30 a.m.