California State University faculty strike affects all 23 campuses

SAN FRANCISCO - Thousands of college professors and other faculty members are set to start a week-long strike Monday. It's part of a system-wide strike across all California State Universities. 

Jeff Newcomb, a lecturer at Cal State East Bay's School of Business and Economics, said he'll be on the picket line early Monday morning. 

"To make sure our voices are heard, and this disruption is unfortunately the one way we have to make that happen," said Newcomb, president of the California Faculty Association's East Bay chapter.

This will be the first time faculty from all 23 CSUs will be striking together. In the Bay Area, that includes Cal State East Bay, Cal Maritime, Sonoma State, San Jose State and San Francisco State. 

There will likely be thousands of classes canceled across the state. The faculty hope this shows that the system would fall apart without them.  

"Faculty working conditions are indeed student learning conditions. And without those learning conditions in play, there’s not much left of the university," said Newcomb. 

The California Faculty Association, the union made up of 29,000 professors, lecturers, coaches and librarians, said negotiations have stalled with the CSU system. 

The union's four demands include more reasonable workloads, such as smaller class sizes, health additions like gender-neutral bathrooms and lactation centers, a semester of paid leave for new families, and a 12% wage increase for all faculty. 

CSU's best and final offer is a 5% wage increase, arguing that more than that isn't financially viable. 

But Newcomb said the union had an independent forensic report done, and it shows the system has enough money.

"We know that the state university system has in reserves over $8 billion that is unaccounted for, or unallocated," said Newcomb. 

CSU leaders have said all campuses will remain open during the strike, and they have a contingency plan in place to maintain operations and hopefully minimize disruption to students. 

Newcomb believes many students support this strike. 

"We have very good relationships, I believe, with all of our students. They are with us and will be joining us on our picket lines beginning tomorrow," he said.