Being a student at Long Beach State is a dream come true for me. After pursuing a music career failed as a young adult, I enrolled at El Camino College in 2018 as a journalism major. While my journey was longer than the average community college student, through all ups and downs, the faculty was always there to help support me.
It came as a surprise to me that my first day of classes at CSULB was canceled. What didn’t surprise me was the reasoning behind the cancellations.
Following months of failed contract negotiations with California State University management, faculty across all CSU campuses band together for a weeklong strike to request a salary increase, better working conditions and several other necessities noted on the California Faculty Association’s website.
During my six years at El Camino College, the faculty there constantly fought hard to request salary increases and reasonable working conditions as the cost of living increased exceptionally during the pandemic.
From 2018 to 2023, inflation rose a total of 22.2% with the national consumer price index score reaching an all-time high of 304.7, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
CSU management has more than enough money to fund and support its faculty. For the 2024-2025 academic year, CSU management has a total of $8.6 billion for its operations budget and only spends 71% of it, according to the 2024-2025 California State University Operating Budget Plan.
Even though my first-day classes were canceled due to the strike, as a new student and a journalist, I took the opportunity to help assist my new peers in reporting about the strike.
As soon as I arrived on campus on Jan. 22, I could see dozens of CFA members and supporters covering every entrance to CSULB. I spoke to several participants about the importance of the historic moment, including communications major Luis Ortiz, who said he’s in support of his faculty because they are the “heart” of the CSU system.
“[Faculty] are the people that make this school run, the people that give us so much opportunity, so much chance to learn. As students, we have an untenable relationship with them,” Ortiz said. “If they get the contract, that’s going to benefit us in the long. As students, I feel like it’s our duty to come out here and support them.”
One day into the strike, an announcement was made on the same night that the CFA and CSU management came to a tentative labor agreement, ending the planned weeklong strike.
As uplifting as the news was for the CSU community, strikes are not something that the CSU faculty should feel the need to do to get their message across. Faculty play a vital role in our nation’s educational system and they deserve to have their requests and needs met upfront, no matter the cost. Without having the support from my faculty, I cannot imagine being where I am today.
Strikes and protests are meant to disrupt and illicit change. I’m glad the first day of classes got canceled if it meant that my new faculty at CSULB would get better pay and more manageable working conditions.
Covering this strike reminded me why I love journalism as much as I do. In the face of uncertainty or injustice, communities band together to fight for what they feel is right.
At times when I felt like no one cared about my success or well-being, my faculty showed me how much they cared and they would inspire me to always want to be the best version of me. I hope the CSULB faculty felt just how much the community and our students appreciate and support them.
As a new student at Long Beach State, it’s an honor to say I spent my first day helping my peers report on the CFA strike and I look forward to forming meaningful connections with this faculty.