TEAMSTERS BRING 'LOUD AND CLEAR' MESSAGE FOR FAIR PAY TO CSU TRUSTEES MEETING

Organized Labor Stands United for Fair Pay at World's Largest Public University System

OAKLAND, Calif., July 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 500 members of Teamsters Local 2010, Academic Professionals of California (APC), California Faculty Association (CFA), CSU Employees Union – SEIU Local 2579 (CSUEU), UAW Local 4123, and Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) filled the courtyard outside of the CSU Board of Trustees meeting on July 11 to demand fair pay.  The six unions collectively represent over 60,000 California State University (CSU) workers across the state.

"Our message was loud and clear, and the CSU Trustees definitely heard us," said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010. "The days of CSU lowballing and taking advantage of workers are over.  We are showing, today and every day, that CSU workers are not going to take it anymore, and we are united and ready to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract."

The crowd, which included more than 150 Teamsters Local 2010 members in the Skilled Trades Unit, are demanding that CSU negotiate fair contracts with wages that keep up with inflation. They are also demanding that CSU fix wage inequities caused by nearly 30 years of not having a reliable way for workers to move up in pay scale.

"As you are probably well aware, CSU has a long-standing and worsening structural crisis in its pay practices, which harms the university, its workers and the state," said Matt Mason, a Teamster bargaining committee member and mechanic at CSU Sacramento, to the Board of Trustees. "Despite our sacrifice and contributions to CSU, including working through a global pandemic, we have received no structured salary steps for nearly 30 years. We are once again stuck between the CSU and the California budget battle."

Most of the unions' proposals, including economic proposals from Teamsters Local 2010, would increase wages in order to be competitive with other comparable institutions and private employers, raising the floor for the lowest-paid faculty and staff. It would also return the regularly scheduled salary increases that the CSU Trustees unilaterally removed in 1996, which has caused extreme pay disparities between long-time and newer CSU workers. Since joining Teamsters Local 2010 in 2017, CSU skilled trades workers have been leading a campaign to fix CSU's broken salary structure by finally restoring step increases.

The roughly 60,000 workers united in the participating labor groups are essential CSU employees whose day-to-day work contributes to student success. From the faculty to the librarians, athletic staff, mental health counselors and their aides, student advisors, administrative assistants, Student Teaching Associates, Graduate Assistants, Electricians and Carpenters, the CSU is a wall-to-wall union workplace.

At the Board of Trustees meeting on July 12, it was also announced that Mildred García has be appointed as CSU Chancellor, with a salary of $795,000 per year. This salary is 27 percent higher than her predecessor, but CSU has offered Teamsters and other CSU workers raises that are cumulatively less than 10 percent over three years. García's total compensation will likely be closer to $1 million per year after factoring in her pension, health care, and other economic benefits.

"Teamsters welcome the new chancellor with this message: you have an opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and finally do right by the workers who have sacrificed and toiled to make CSU successful," Rabinowitz said. "CSU has taken care of executives with huge raises while workers are being left behind. It's time to get down to business, bargain in good faith, and reach a contract that demonstrates the real appreciation and fair compensation that CSU workers deserve."

Since discussion of raising student tuition was on the Board of Trustees' agenda for the day, union members also spoke out against the CSU balancing their budget on the backs of students.

Teamsters Local 2010 is a union of 15,000 hardworking employees in California higher education. We are affiliated with the 1.2-million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters. We stand together to win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. We strive to protect workers' rights through direct action and determined labor representation.

CONTACT: Aimee Baror, Communications Director
(213) 220-0538 / [email protected]

SOURCE Teamster Local 2010