I am very distressed over the state of the bargaining between the California Faculty Association and the California State University system. After 20 months, there is no agreement over a new contract, and apparently neither side is expecting the next step to lead to an agreement. The union may call for "job action", including strikes (limited, at least initially). This is such a terrible prospect--no faculty member wants to deny instruction to students, but we also need a contract.
The CFA is fighting for faculty benefits and pay raises of course, but it is also fighting against fee hikes for students. The 2006-07 state budget is calling for CSU student fee increases of 10% and a 4% increase for high-level managers [NBC11.com]. I believe so strongly in public education and the civic and economic benefits it brings, that it really upsets me to see all these problems.
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4 comments:
I was unaware of this. It seems very interesting, yet in need of a quick solution.
I feel that teachers need to be given priority. Only with better pay and more respect can we pave way to more qualified and vigilant professors. US representitives always say that they put education first but that's not how they treat it. Administrators always get paid more and most of the time it's unjustly over paid.
Last Wednesday, January 31, there were about 10-20 teachers walking around in circles near the business tower. They were holding signs and yelling loudly. I am guessing it was about how they were unhappy with the association. I completely agree with the teachers and I am very displeased with the administration and the association.
Clayton, you are half right: the instructors are unhappy with the administration, but they were marching in support of the association (which is, by definition, made up of all the CSU's faculty members). The Mercury News covered the informational picket.
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