The California State University Board of Trustees ratified a tentative agreement with the California Faculty Association regarding CSU faculty salaries, according to a CFA press release.
The agreement, which was ratified by the CSU trustees on May 25, guarantees pay increases for faculty throughout the next year.
As laid out in the agreement, faculty on active pay status or on leave will receive a 5 percent general salary increase on June 30. They will then receive a 2 percent general salary increase July 1, followed by a 3.5 percent salary increase on July 1, 2017.
In total, CSU faculty will receive a 10.5 percent salary raise over the course of the upcoming school year.
The CFA represents more than 27,000 faculty members in the 23-campus CSU system.
Ratifying the agreement followed the CFA’s “Fight for Five” campaign, which saw faculty from all 23 CSU campuses prepare for a system-wide strike.
During the Fight for Five campaign, the CFA demanded a 5 percent general salary increase, while the CSU offered a 2 percent salary increase.
The tentative agreement is the product of months of negotiations and collective bargaining. During the process, a fact-finder looked over documents submitted by the CSU and the CFA. Fact-finder Bonnie Castrey, who is Cal State Long Beach alumna, sided with the CFA and recommended the 5 percent salary increase.
CFA President Jennifer Eagan said in the press release that the CFA is happy that the strike was avoided and campuses could continue to operate normally.
“We are pleased that we managed to avoid a strike and come to a reasonable agreement that takes fair and necessary steps toward resolving long-standing… salary problem for the faculty,” Eagan said. “It was a difficult year, but we created a good outcome for faculty, students, and the system as a whole.”
According to the same press release, the CFA maintains that the CSUs are underfunded by the state, and that there needs to be an increase in funding to better serve students.
Both the CSU and the CFA have called for $101 million more than Governor Jerry Brown allotted in the 2016-2017 state budget.
Gov. Brown added $25 million for the CSU in the state budget in May, although it is a one-time funding.
“The CSU needs an increase in permanent and recurring funding,” Eagan said in a public statement. “… Students reappear. There are more of them every year. And that’s a good thing. California badly needs more people with college degrees. But, we need to restore ongoing funding to the system to be able to serve them all.”