CSU Faculty to Strike, Protest Against Executive Pay Raises

Faculty at California State University's 23 campuses will be holding informal protests today to draw attention to the current "impasse" in an ongoing salary dispute and in the wake of executive pay raises. A strike by the faculty union has been called at two campuses for November 17.

The CSU blames the deep cuts to state funding for higher education for their inability to pay out an estimated $20 million in faculty raises. The faculty, however, are also frustrated at the increasingly difficult task of doing their jobs when those same cuts mean increased workloads and class sizes, and inadequate resources. Additionally, students have been subjected to relentless tuition increases, but then face fewer courses offered, crowded classrooms, and less services and resources on their campuses.

Faculty are questioning the allocation of funds to pay CSU execs, like SDSU's newest president, who was awarded a salary of $100,000 more than his predecessor--a decision Governor Jerry Brown also questioned.

Brown should know how dire the CSU's finances are; he put a $500 million cut from the system in his state budget.

Strikes will take place November 17 at CSU Dominguez Hills and Easy Bay.