“We say five, you say two. You say take it, we say no. You, Chancellor White, have the power to affect our lives and make things right, but you lack the will and commitment to do so.”
CFA President Jennifer Eagan speaks to the Board of Trustees during public comment on Jan. 26 at the Dumke Auditorium. Eagan said executives are the only ones receiving a raise, while CFA has been presenting the case for a minimally decent salary increase for faculty members for almost two years.
In another attempt to get their point across to the California State University Board of Trustees and Chancellor Timothy P. White, the California Faculty Association statewide officers found a way not to be tuned out: a short and sweet bluesy tune.
The BOT held a meeting Tuesday morning at the Dumke Auditorium in Long Beach to hear the chancellor’s State of the State University presentation and to discuss the Finance Committee’s take on the CSU Academic Sustainability Plan.
One of the most controversial issues in the sustainability study is the task force’s recommendation to increase student tuition automatically with the rate of inflation, which generally ranges between 1 and 4 percent each year.
The task force’s report calls for annual tuition increases to “maintain the purchasing power of the revenue collected and mitigate future large, unplanned tuition increases in response to state budget reductions in the face of economic uncertainty.”
CSU students need not fear tuition increases next year, however, as the Governor’s budget proposal included an additional $148 million into the CSU General Fund. The extra funding was added to maintain the current tuition levels for the 2016-17 academic year.
The last CSU tuition increase came before the 2011-12 academic year. Tuition increased that year by $1,032 to its current annual cost of $5,472.
During the Committee on Collective Bargaining, CFA President Jennifer Eagan spoke briefly about how the chancellor is talking the talk but not walking the walk.
“You sound like you are on our side, the side of the faculty, staff and students and our families, but your actions cut your rhetoric,” Eagan said.
After she spoke, members of the CFA and the California State University Employees Union sang the BOT a little tune.
“Which side are you on now / which side are you on” was the hook. They talked about how this is a middle class fight and if they don’t receive proper compensation they will all strike.
A strike would leave students without teachers for one day on each campus in the CSU system.
“We truly love our students and the work we all do / but all that love can’t pay the rent, 2 percent won’t do,” they continued.
The Fight for Five drive is the CFA’s request to the BOT to increase faculty salaries by 5 percent. The BOT countered with a 2 percent increase offer, but the CFA have said they will not settle for less than 5.
The CFA has authorized a strike if their demand for a 5 percent increase is not met. This would be the last step in the bargaining process after the fact-finding process concludes in the next few weeks. After a strike, the chancellor’s team could give his “last, best, and final offer,” called a unilateral imposition.
In the chancellor’s address, he made it clear his main objectives moving forward are improving inclusiveness for underprivileged students and raising graduation rates.
The graduation initiative should be the board’s biggest collective project, something they should all come together to work towards, according to Chancellor White, who then compared it to the U.S. moon landing in the 1960s.
“Chancellor White’s State of the CSU address reminds us that California’s economy and future are closely linked to the success of the university and its students,” Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins said in a statement. “I applaud Chancellor White for his leadership in working to improve outcomes for students, especially those from underserved communities.”
After White’s address, students from local CSU campuses had a chance to speak.
CSU Los Angeles representative for Students for Quality Education Christian Torres said education is a right and called for students to strike along with their professors.
“The chancellor is very glib, but one can’t help seeing through the happy talk and see that there are severe weaknesses in the leadership and direction of the CSU,” Douglas Domingo-Foraste, Cal State Long Beach CFA Chapter President, said. “Lots of places where the direction of the university is [is] counter to the best interest of the students.”
Toward the end of the CFA and the CSUEU tune, the impromptu troubadours marched out of the auditorium still singing.
The BOT meetings will continue tomorrow at the CSU offices in downtown Long Beach.