In an editorial today in the Long Beach Press-Telegram the editors opine that a strike by CSU faculty “sends the wrong message;” that striking will “do damage to students.” They suggest instead “informational pickets.”

Some faculty I am sure are of the same opinion. “I don’t want to strike. It will hurt the students.”

I don’t want to strike either. And I certainly don’t want to hurt students.

But you know what will hurt students even more?

If we fail to authorize a strike, and strike if it comes to that.

Our actions are aimed at protecting the interests of students and faculty. We are in the same boat.

As we like to say: Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions.

What conditions will the Chancellor impose on the faculty and students if we fail to act?

  • Faculty will have fewer rights and become, in effect, at-will employees. A campus president would have the ability to decide order of layoff and could use that power to layoff faculty and then hire them back at lower wages to do the same job. Think it is not possible? It is already happening elsewhere. Is that good for students?
  • Channel Islands is no longer the newest campus in the CSU. That distinction goes to CSU Online. The new president of CSU Online has described it as being like Costco. This is where the Chancellor would like to take the CSU, and this contract will help him get us there. The NEW CSU: Costco State University. Is that good for students?
  • Increasingly the Chancellor is seeking to move required courses into Extended University where faculty have fewer rights, get paid less, and where students pay higher tuition for the same course (and they cannot use their CalGrant money to pay for the courses). Is that good for students?
  • During bargaining a CFA proposed an article on Academic Freedom. It was rejected outright by the CSU without discussion. Article A.4 (draft) read …“Faculty members are guaranteed freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject.  Because controversy is at the heart of free academic inquiry, this right includes the right to introduce and discuss controversial material.” Wholesale rejection of a basic academic principle? Is that good for students?
  • The Chancellor is demanding re-openers on salary and benefits in the second and third years of the contract.  Translation: He wants to cut faculty pay.  And the way the contract is written if he cuts pay and benefits we will not be able to strike.

The fact is that if and when we strike most students will miss only one day of your class. During the furlough year they missed many more days than that.

I think that students and faculty can afford to give up one day of class to stop the Chancellor from fundamentally changing our jobs and degrading the quality of a CSU education.

If not us, who? Who will stand up for quality education?

If not now, when? The stakes are high; the issues are fundamental. Should we wait until it is too late.

Vote today. And vote YES. You can vote on-line by going to:

https://eballotuv.votenet.com/cfa/login.cfm

You will need your letter that VoteNet sent to your home address last week.  This letter contains your Username and Activation Code needed to cast your confidential strike vote.

If you have not received your letter or misplaced it contact VoteNet at: 866-543-8750, M-F: 8-8 or Saturday 10-2 or visit: http://www.calfac.org/spring2012411#online-voting-details  for more information.

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