Spring Break
CFA and CSU strike a tentative salary agreement
Mitchell Alan Parker
Issue date: 4/5/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The California Faculty Association union reached a tentative contract agreement on Tuesday with the California State University - squashing plans for a faculty strike planned for later this month.
SJSU president Don Kassing was pleased with the result of the ongoing negotiations and said he was confident that the agreement would be ratified.
"The faculty will get a well-deserved raise," he said. "It's nice to not have to be thinking about a strike."
The CFA and the CSU had been negotiating a fair salary contract for more than 22 months, eventually bringing in a third-party mediator toward the end to initiate a fact-finding report, which offered solutions to the disputing sides.
"I'm happy for the teachers getting paid what they deserve," said Carolina Avalos, a senior majoring in sociology. "If they're happy, we're happy."
The contract is scheduled to be ratified at the end of April, but CFA members say they are remaining "cautiously optimistic."
"The best case scenario is that the two parties will sign," said Liz Cara, CFA president of SJSU and a professor of occupational therapy. "The worst case would be some provision where the other side would say 'Well, we actually meant this instead'."
CSU spokesman Paul Browning made no allusions to the fact that this thing isn't over.
"Something could always happen," he said.
Nevertheless, both sides seemed somewhat relieved that the end to this whole saga is growing near.
"We're really excited to have signed this contract," Browning said.
As for the CFA members, Cara said they are "more elated than anything," adding that the real victory of the pending contract is that it will guarantee a 21 percent salary increase over the next four years for all the 23,000 lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches in the 23-campus CSU system.
"Everything's resolved," said Mike Doung, a senior majoring in sociology. "At least an agreement's made."
SJSU president Don Kassing was pleased with the result of the ongoing negotiations and said he was confident that the agreement would be ratified.
"The faculty will get a well-deserved raise," he said. "It's nice to not have to be thinking about a strike."
The CFA and the CSU had been negotiating a fair salary contract for more than 22 months, eventually bringing in a third-party mediator toward the end to initiate a fact-finding report, which offered solutions to the disputing sides.
"I'm happy for the teachers getting paid what they deserve," said Carolina Avalos, a senior majoring in sociology. "If they're happy, we're happy."
The contract is scheduled to be ratified at the end of April, but CFA members say they are remaining "cautiously optimistic."
"The best case scenario is that the two parties will sign," said Liz Cara, CFA president of SJSU and a professor of occupational therapy. "The worst case would be some provision where the other side would say 'Well, we actually meant this instead'."
CSU spokesman Paul Browning made no allusions to the fact that this thing isn't over.
"Something could always happen," he said.
Nevertheless, both sides seemed somewhat relieved that the end to this whole saga is growing near.
"We're really excited to have signed this contract," Browning said.
As for the CFA members, Cara said they are "more elated than anything," adding that the real victory of the pending contract is that it will guarantee a 21 percent salary increase over the next four years for all the 23,000 lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches in the 23-campus CSU system.
"Everything's resolved," said Mike Doung, a senior majoring in sociology. "At least an agreement's made."
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