A strike looms as nearly 30,000 professors, librarians, and various staff within the California State University system prepare for a five-day protest starting on Monday. This action, stemming from prolonged contract negotiations, could lead to the cancellation of classes for hundreds of thousands of students during the initial week of the spring semester.
The ongoing discussions have revolved around issues such as salary increases and broader workplace enhancements for employees within the nation’s largest public university system, serving approximately 460,000 students across 23 campuses.
Faculty members, seeking a 12% pay raise, elevated minimum salary, and extended parental leave, are among those advocating for improvements. Charles Toombs, the president of the California Faculty Association and a professor at San Diego State University, emphasized the need for fair compensation, stating, “We need to be paid for the tremendous work we do to make the California State University System a great system.”
The extent of disruption to campus activities remains uncertain, as it is unclear how many members will actively participate in the strike.