Teamsters Stand Strong for Steps, Make Progress in CSU Bargaining

Teamsters Stand Strong for Steps, Make Progress in CSU Bargaining

Dec. 20, 2019 – Our CSU Skilled Trades Bargaining Team met with CSU management Dec. 17-18 at our Teamsters Local 2010 office in Oakland for the second CSU contract bargaining session. We decorated the meeting space with the more than 500 petitions signed in less than two weeks by members across the state calling for Safety, Steps and Staffing at the CSU. Management could not look anywhere without seeing signed petitions reminding them that our Union stands united for a strong contract with salary steps and fair pay and benefits for our CSU members.

We opened bargaining by presenting a copy of Governor Newsom’s letter calling on CSU to bargain fairly and restore steps, to show that the Governor stands with us for fair treatment for CSU workers. We then reiterated our proposal to restore step increases and requested a response from CSU.  CSU responded that they do not reject our steps proposal but do not agree to it either.  CSU claims it cannot afford them without additional state funding. Our Union maintains that CSU can well afford the steps under current funding, but we are ready to lobby the legislature for adequate funding for CSU. We will continue to hold CSU accountable and ensure they bargain fairly on returning steps.

Our Bargaining Team made 11 proposals on contract articles and appendices and reached tentative agreement with CSU on two others, demonstrating that our team is ready and able to ensure workplace issues are addressed in this bargaining. Our CSU Skilled Trades Teamsters on the team made sure management knows the realities that our members face on the job every single day and pushed back on CSU proposals that failed to address our concerns.

Our next bargaining session will be January 23 and 24 at the Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach. CSU plans to bring a budget expert in support of its claim that they can’t afford to implement the steps under current funding. The Teamsters will bring in an economist from the IBT Economics and Contracts department to counter CSU’s position and show that CSU can well afford to pay workers fairly.

The Bargaining Team would like to thank our members for signing the petition on short notice and being willing to take a stand for steps and a fair contract. We will keep moving forward together into the New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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