Teamsters Local 2010 has placed CSU on notice to prepare for an expensive, disruptive battle with the Union – up to and including potential strike action – after the University’s disgraceful announcement that it will seek to renege on promised contractual raises and step increases for Teamsters and other CSU Unions, which were due to be implemented July 1.
CSU took this outrageous action despite receiving full funding in the final state budget – thanks to the efforts of thousands of Teamsters 2010 and fellow CSU Union members who lobbied and petitioned the state to roll back cuts contained in the initial proposed budget and May revision. Shamefully, after receiving full funding, CSU plans to pocket this budgeted money, and turn around and swindle workers out of promised raises.
In response, Teamsters Local 2010 Secretary -Treasurer Jason Rabinowitz sent a letter to Chancellor Mildred Garcia, demanding that CSU reverse course on this decision, or “prepare for a protracted, expensive and disruptive legal and economic battle with the Teamsters Union – up to and including potential strike action – which will undoubtedly cost the University many times what it may expect to save by cheating workers out of their promised raises.”
“Our members stand ready to do whatever it takes to defend the promised step increases that we fought for and that we deserve. CSU, if you break your promises to workers, prepare for a protracted, expensive and disruptive legal and economic battle with the Teamsters Union that will undoubtedly cost the University many times what it may expect to save by cheating workers out of their promised raises.”
Jason Rabinowitz
Teamsters Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer
Teamsters Local 2010 has also filed a grievance against the CSU for violating our contract by failing to pay the contractually promised raises and salary steps and we are working with our attorneys to prepare further legal action.
Local 2010 is coordinating closely with the other CSU Unions, which are facing similar efforts by CSU to deny contractual raises.
As most of us know, the raises that CSU seeks to deny are the result of Teamsters Local 2010’s multi-year effort to win back step increases after being denied a reliable way to move up our salary scales for nearly three decades. Our Union’s battle included sponsoring and supporting state legislation, years of negotiations with the University, and ultimately a series of successful strikes, which finally pushed the CSU to agree to restore step increases in our Union contract. This achievement has been life-changing for many members who had languished at the bottom of their pay scales after decades of service to CSU. The contract that we achieved finally righted that wrong through implementation of the steps, and the July 1 step increases would complete that process by bringing those of us who were farthest behind up to the target step based on years of service. After agreeing to correct its decades-long pay injustices, the fact that the University now seeks to reverse this process and continue the injustice against the longest-serving CSU workers is a total outrage and will not be tolerated.
CSU attempted to justify its refusal to pay promised raises based on the technicality that, although it received full funding in the budget, the legislature deferred some of the funding to subsequent years, while providing the funds through zero-interest loans. But the fact is that CSU is receiving full funding in this budget. We condemn and reject CSU’s greedy legal trickery aimed at cheating workers out of promised raises while pocketing budgeted funds.
Teamsters Local 2010 will fight CSU’s reprehensible actions tooth and nail. Let’s stand ready to do whatever it takes to defend our contract and the step increases that we won, that the University promised us, and that we deserve!
