Our Bargaining Team has called an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike to be held Feb. 17-20, 2026.
The strike was announced to Teamsters Union Stewards on Jan. 20. Members voted by an overwhelming 94% to authorize a strike at campuses statewide. The CSU has refused to pay our contractual July 2025 raises and salary steps and committed numerous unfair labor practices, such as bargaining in bad faith and distributing anti-union communications. While ripping off workers by denying our contractual raises, CSU handed out huge pay increases to already overpaid executives, accepted and pocketed millions in no-interest loans from the state intended to fund our raises, and sits on billions in reserves.
“The CSU would much rather give presidents and executives 9% raises than to invest in the futures of skilled trades workers who keep the heating and air working, the water running, the lights on and our campuses safe for students and the CSU community. We make the CSU work. Without our labor, there would be no campuses in operation.”
Ernesto Torres
Bargaining Team Member
Teamsters 2010 Vice President & Skilled Trades Director
Facilities Project Supervisor at CSU San Bernardino
Picket lines and rallies are being planned for all 22 CSU campuses and the Chancellor’s Office. Deliveries of construction materials, food and produce, laundry and package deliveries will be turned away. Construction on campuses will also be halted.
All members are urged to withhold their valuable work and join the picket line on your campus. Our sister CSU Unions, CFA, CSUEU, APC, UAW and SUPA, have all pledged to support our efforts. The strike has already been sanctioned by the California Labor Federation, and Teamsters Joint Councils 7 and 42, which cover Northern and Southern California respectively.
The public is advised to avoid the campus during the strike. Elevators, lighting, electrical systems, heating and cooling and restrooms may not be operational during the strike due to a lack of qualified mechanics and technicians on the job.
“In calling this strike, Teamsters members are speaking loud and clear: We are fed up with CSU’s greed, disrespect and unfair practices. CSU is out of time and out of excuses. We demand that CSU stop ripping off workers and immediately pay our promised raises, or face an unprecedented and disruptive statewide strike.”
Jason Rabinowitz
Teamsters Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer
Members will receive more information prior to the strike regarding times, locations and other details.
Background
Teamsters Unit 6 Skilled Trades workers at CSU were without regular means to move through their wage ranges for nearly 30 years, making it so new hires earned the same wages as some workers with 15 or more years of experience. Teamsters Local 2010 members fought and won fair salary steps and a series of raises to bring workers up to the appropriate pay level through several strikes in late 2023. After paying two years of the contractual raises, the CSU refused to pay us our raises in 2025, claiming they had the right to reopen our Teamsters contract because the state didn’t fully fund the CSU. This is untrue since just a tiny fraction of funding was deferred, not unfunded.
Questions? Contact a Union Representative or Bargaining Team member now.
