After tallying up all of the in-person and online votes, Teamsters Unit 6 Skilled Trades workers at California State University have spoken loud and clear: 94% voted YES to authorize our Bargaining Team to call a strike. This overwhelming support sends a powerful message to CSU that we are united and ready to fight for what we’re contractually owed, and for respect for the important work we do keeping campus infrastructure safe and running smoothly.
This strike authorization is especially important since mediation between the CSU and Teamsters Local 2010 teams on Wednesday, Dec. 17 did not result in the CSU agreeing to immediately pay Unit 6 workers the raises and salary steps that they were contractually obligated to pay us this past July.
“The CSU tells us they care yet their actions show otherwise. There’s always an excuse that stops them from keeping their promises. They say the allocation of the funds is already set and they can’t do anything about it. The message is clear: There is no other way to go about these actions but to take action and strike. We need to show the CSU our work keeps the business running, the education flowing and, most importantly, our students safe.”
Ernesto Torres
Vice President & Skilled Trades Director
Unit 6 Bargaining Team Member
“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,” said Ernesto Torres, Teamsters Local 2010 Vice President and Bargaining Team member and Facilities Project Supervisor at CSU San Bernardino. “We make the CSU work. Without our labor, there would be no campuses in operation.”
This vote does not mean we are on strike, but we are now in the process of preparing for the next steps, which includes continued negotiations and other worker actions to ensure CSU hears that we are strike ready!
“Our members have spoken loud and clear: we will not stand for CSU’s shameful attempt to rip off workers. Unfortunately, yesterday CSU continued its bad faith bargaining in mediation, still refusing to pay our promised contractual raises even as they hand out huge increases to overpaid executives and pocket zero-interest loans from the state. We are fed up with CSU’s unfair practices and we are ready to do whatever it takes to win the fair treatment we deserve!”
Jason Rabinowitz
Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local 2010
Unit 6 Bargaining Team Chief Negotiator
