CSU Board of Trustees met March 4 to approve the tentative agreements with unions such as Teamsters, CFA and APC.
The California State University Board of Trustees met on Mar. 4 to ratify three tentative agreements, approving the labor contracts that were negotiated from the California Faculty Association (CFA), Teamsters Local 2010, and the Academic Professionals of California.
The mid-morning meeting, which was live streamed on YouTube, lasted about seven minutes. There were no in-person comments made during the meeting, but one CFA representative who appeared virtually offered remarks on the past eight months of negotiations between the union and CSU.
“It did not have to be this hard to come to this agreement,” said Kevin Wehr, the CFA bargaining team chair.
“This tentative agreement makes substantial progress on issues central to the board mission of the CSU, including social justice gains, new language on workload, and counselor ratios.”
Wehr noted the deal also outlined, “reasonable compensation increases” and “economic justice” for CSU’s lowest-paid faculty. He acknowledged that, “not all faculty” were satisfied with the agreement, but the CFA looked forward to coming back to the bargaining table next year to “make further progress on core issues.”
Wehr’s comments came just weeks after the CFA voted to approve the tentative agreement. The union planned a week-long strike set to begin on Jan. 22 – the first day of the spring semester – but called it off after a day of protest after the CSU board offered a new contract.
Under the tentative agreements, faculty of these unions will all receive a five percent salary increase starting July 1, and some will have access to substantial benefits such as extended paid parental leave.
This meeting put a temporary end to the conflict between the unions and trustees, however, on Feb. 28, students across all 23 campuses staged a walkout in protest of the increase in tuition.
CSU students have been rallying against the tuition hike for months. Prior to the new tuition rate, tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year was set at $5,742, excluding mandatory fees. Now, tuition for the 2024-2025 academic school year is projected to rise 6%, leaving it at $6,084 for students taking 6 units or more, and will cap off at $7,682 in 2028-2029.
“Our demands are that they reverse the tuition hikes,” said student graduate and leader of the Southwest Asian & North African Association (SWANA), Nadia Al-Said. “We are underfunded at our resource centers, we’re underfunded in terms of basic needs resources, we’re underfunded across the board, and it’s not by mistake, it’s by design.”
CSUDH students participated in the walkout and marched around campus holding signs with statements like “our education is not your business opportunity,” “stop misusing our funds,” and “Parham’s salary is $500K.”
Xochilt Trujillo, a third year health science major, believes that CSU has begun to lose its original goal in helping students afford a college education, “I believe all CSU’s, especially CSUDH should be more affordable since it helps lower-income students to have a degree in something they love,” Trujillo said. “[Tuition hikes are] going against their founding vision.”
Dr. Alfredo Carlos is a faculty member in the Labor Studies department and co-president of the CFA in CSUDH and other CFA members – including CSUDH’s co-president of the union, Dr. Alfredo Carlos – also participated in the walkout to encourage and support students for their right to afford a college education.
“This is a student university. It doesn’t belong to us. It doesn’t belong to the administration.The students are the ones that pay the tuition,” said Dr. Carlos, who teaches in the CSUDH Labor Studies department.
“You all are the ones that pay the bills around here. And you should feel like this is your place.”
Students also brought criticism and questions about why CSU campus presidents are earning significantly more than professors and faculty. The 2024 CSU executive compensation summary shows that more than 15 campus presidents earn well over $500,000 per year.
CSUDH president, Dr. Thomas A. Parham, who is reported to earn $513,971 for the 2024-2025 academic year, weighed in on the recent student protests in an email to the Bulletin.
“I understand and empathize with students’ frustration regarding the raised tuition…with that in mind, it is important that students understand the full range of issues involved in the decision to raise tuition,” said Dr. Parham.
“Without more tuition revenue, the CSU would be perennially underfunded and unable to meet its financial obligations. In order to uphold our academic mission, upkeep our infrastructure, pay our faculty and staff employees, and provide student services, the CSU had to raise tuition.”
“We are lobbying at all levels of government to help with tuition costs and engaging with the state legislature for more resources, and advocating to the federal government to double the amount of Pell Grants,” said Dr. Parham. “Access and affordability are a point of pride for our campus and the wider system, and we are committed to keeping CSUDH within reach for our students.”
