The union representing thousands of California State University system faculty members filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the university, alleging bad-faith negotiating, the union announced Friday.
The California Faculty Association is pushing for a 5 percent salary increase for faculty members, but the CSU is offering 2 percent. Union members have already authorized a strike if an agreement cannot be reached.
The first of two fact-finding sessions as part of the negotiation process is scheduled for Monday. But CFA officials said they filed a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board on Thursday, saying that state law requires the university to reach a salary agreement with the union before sending a budget request to the Legislature and governor.
Toni Molle, director of public affairs for CSU, said the university “does not comment on pending litigation.”
“The fact-finding stae of the collective bargaining process is set to begin on Monday, Nov. 23,” Molle said. “The CSU remains committed to the collective bargaining process and to reaching a negotiated agreement with the California Faculty Association.”
Kevin Wehr, chairman of the CFA bargaining team and a professor at Sacramento State University, said CSU Chancellor Timothy White “decided what he thought was fair compensation for faculty before the bargaining process even began, and that is not bargaining in good faith.”
Hundreds of faculty members staged a march and rally at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach on Tuesday.
CSU officials have said a 5 percent increase for CFA faculty would cost $68.9 million over the 2 percent the university is offering. The cost to the university could balloon to $107.2 million when other labor unions ask for the same increase, according to the CSU.
About half of the CSU’s 25,000 faculty are members of the CFA, according to the university.
— City News Service