P/Timer Hiring Practices Derail CSU Union Negotiations
by TAA Staff
A LAST DITCH effort by the California Faculty Association
to avert impasse failed July 16 when the CSU Administration
Team refused to modify its position on several issues of importance
to faculty. Instead, Administration bargainers presented a
list of demands for changes to 18 contract articles, most
of which had been in their original proposal at the beginning
of the negotiations process last March.
“The current CSU administration, including Chancellor Charles
Reed, has turned the collective bargaining process into a
sham,” said CFA President Susan Meisenhelder, who cited the
last two rounds of bargaining which failed to produce an agreement.
“Because of this unfortunate track record, we’re gearing up
for job actions when classes resume this fall. We believe
we owe it to our students to stand up for the future of the
CSU, in spite of the administration abdicating its responsibility,”
she added.
“We are extremely disappointed with the failure of the administration
to seriously address issues that affect faculty, students
and the quality of education at CSU,” said CFA Bargaining
Team Chairperson and Humboldt State professor John Travis.
Those issues include the replacement of tenured faculty with
part-time, temporary employees; the continuing financial lag
of faculty behind colleagues in comparable universities; and
growing workload requirements that make it nearly impossible
to give students individual attention. The PERB will now appoint
a mediator who will attempt to bring about a settlement. If
mediation fails, a Fact-Finder will be appointed who will
hold a hearing in which both sides present their cases. He
or she will then issue a nonbinding decision outlining a fair
contract settlement. Last year, in salary and benefit bargaining,
the CSU administration refused to accept the Fact-Finder’s
decision and opted to unilaterally impose its own terms.
If the Fact-Finder’s decision is rejected by either party,
faculty are free to engage in job actions.
