During our most recent bargaining session on July 5-6, CSU improved its economic offer to the Union, for the first time including general salary increases (GSI) and salary step progression in their contract proposal to our Teamsters team. Our united action as Teamsters is pushing CSU, and we need to keep up the pressure!
Specifically, CSU has now proposed a 3% GSI for the current fiscal year, placement on revised salary step structures on October 1, 2024, and a combination of a 2% increase to all steps/pay rates and a step increase on October 1, 2025. The CSU team has stated that this would translate into a 3% increase in the first year, a 3.2% average increase in the second year, and a 3.8% average increase in year 3.
These proposed increases follow multiple proposals where CSU had proposed an insulting 1% on average raise for the first year and no guaranteed raises in years 2 and 3. This movement shows that the actions we have been taking across the state are working, but there is a long way to go. CSU has continued to propose eliminating emergency pay and in-range progressions (IRP) and replacing them with inadequate programs completely at their discretion. The step increase CSU proposed for the third year is tied to employee performance ratings instead of being an across-the-board step increase as we have proposed. The raise totals are not enough to address the recent spike in the cost of living, and the raises in years 2 and 3 are tied to state funding increases instead of being truly guaranteed.
Our Bargaining Team will provide a counter proposal and continue to press for fair raises and against CSU’s proposed takeaways and concessions. All of us must continue to escalate our actions to ensure we get a fair contract with the CSU. Our actions at the CSU Trustees meetings in coalition with our fellow CSU unions will continue to draw attention to the CSU’s unfair treatment of faculty and staff over the past 30 years.
“All the actions we are taking as Teamsters – our rallies at the Trustees meetings, our lobbying efforts, our united actions on the campuses – are moving CSU forward, as shown by their most recent economic offer. But we still have a long way to go, so we have to keep up the pressure to win the fair contract we deserve!”
In order to win the pay and raises we deserve, it’s critical that we continue to escalate our actions and keep the pressure on CSU. If you haven’t already, please send a letter to the CSU Trustees and leaders at the link below. If you’d like to participate in our upcoming action at the July 11 Trustees meeting, please contact your Teamsters Steward or Union Representative.
Teamsters Contract with CSU Expired
On July 1, our Union contract with the CSU expired, meaning we are now in a state of “status quo.” In status quo most of our contract provisions continue to apply, with a few exceptions including the no strike clause, arbitration procedure, and compensatory time off (CTO) in lieu of overtime.
We have proposed a side letter to the CSU that would allow campuses to continue providing CTO as they were previously and have not yet received a response from CSU. While we cannot take grievances to arbitration in status quo, we can still file and prosecute grievances, and we can file unfair labor practices with the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to protect our members’ rights. Further, CSU cannot change any terms or conditions of employment without first bargaining with our Union. If management does change terms and conditions, please let your Union Representative know immediately.
Since the expiration of the contract means that the no-strike clause no longer applies, our Bargaining Team can now call for a strike vote by the members at any time.
It’s the actions we take together that will win us the raises we deserve and a strong successor contract. Let’s continue to join in solidarity as a Union to send CSU the message to stop their Unfair Labor Practices. We won’t stop until we get fair pay for our essential work!