As a faculty member, I was glad to see your indication of support for the principles of our struggle, but disappointed to read in the same Daily 49er editorial, “CSU faculty strike would hurt student body,” (April 24, 2012) your opposition to our strike preparations.
Nobody wants to strike, however, these extraordinary actions are being considered only as a last resort to defend not only faculty rights, but the rights of CSU students to an education.
The actions of the Chancellor’s Office and their position in collective bargaining have offered nothing but take-backs, moves toward the privatization of the CSU system, and severe restrictions to student access.
If we accept the Chancellor’s proposals without a fight, it is virtually guaranteed that far fewer students will have a chance to obtain admission to the CSU, and current students will have ever-increasing fees and tuition, fewer and larger classes, and a more transient faculty, while undergoing even greater pressure to graduate in reduced time frames.
The argument that there is no money in the state or the country to support students’ right to education is a false one.
The root to the problem lies in the severe, immoral inequities in the distribution of wealth.
Rather than accept that we should fight each other over crumbs from the table, we should insist on taking our rightful place at that same table, by having the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share toward the cost of educating our population. Education is a human right, not a privilege.
As we faculty push back against these threats, we carry your interests along with the fight for our own.
Our interests are intertwined, not separate.
We stand with you. Please stand with us. Together we rise.
In solidarity,
Joanne Tortorici Luna
Professor, College of Education