Thanks to the legislative efforts of Teamsters Local 2010 and our sister Unions CSUEU and SEIU, Gov. Gavin Newsom has sent a letter to the CSU Chancellor, strongly urging CSU to negotiate fair pay and salary steps into upcoming labor contracts.
“The upcoming negotiations should result in an agreement with our labor partners that erases the inversion gap, provides salary steps, and fairly and justly compensates these staff for their hard work,” Gov. Newsom’s letter stated.
Gov. Newsom’s letter to CSU Chancellor Timothy White recognized the 24-year absence of salary steps and the economic hardship this has caused workers, especially long-time employees:
“The troubling absence of merit salary steps takes the biggest toll on the most long-serving workers, who fall further behind their more recently hired colleagues each year they serve our students. Moreover, the CSU is the only state agency that does not provide salary steps to its staff.”
“We thank Gov. Newsom for standing with workers by urging CSU to pay workers fairly,” said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010. “CSU needs to heed the Governor’s call to resolve the issue in bargaining and agree to our Teamster proposal to reinstate salary steps.”
The Governor’s letter comes in response to AB 369, our bill to restore step increases at CSU. In mid-September, Gov. Newsom expressed his desire for the CSU and the Unions to work together one more time to negotiate salary steps into upcoming contracts. The Governor said AB 369 would remain active in the legislative session as an important tool to hold the CSU accountable. Our Union retains the right to bring the bill to the Governor’s desk in the event that negotiations do not result in a fair agreement for workers.
“It’s exciting to see the huge progress we have made as Teamsters in the past two years in regaining our salary steps compared to where we were 12 years ago when I first got involved with our union,” said Skilled Trades Director Drew Scott. “Teamsters 2010 and CSUEU working together is going to bring closure to a 24-year practice of wage discrimination by the California State University system.”
Click here to read the Governor’s letter to CSU Chancellor White.