The California Faculty Association and the California State University reached a tentative labor agreement on Tuesday. The settlement calls off a system-wide strike which was set to begin next week. KPBS reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.
Cal State San Marcos in San Diego's North County was going to be one of the first of CSU campuses where faculty walked off. In fact, union members were meeting to finalize plans when they got a call from labor leaders with the good news. Under the tentative contract, CSU faculty will get close to a 21 percent pay increase over the next four years. Cal State San Marcos professor Janet Powell says union members were ecstatic when they heard the outcome.
Powell : There were just cheers throughout the room. And then to find out that not only do we have a tentative agreement, but it’s very much in our favor, it’s just a huge victory for us.
Union leaders say the pay increases close the salary gap between CSU professors and faculty in other parts of the country. Union members will vote on the new deal later this week. The labor dispute between the union and the university has lasted 22 months.
Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.
