California State University faculty striking this week

The California Faculty Association said its union members at several California State University campuses will mount four one-day strikes this week. The strikes are planned from Monday through Thursday, starting with California State Polytechnical Institute in Pomona on Monday, followed by San Francisco State, CSU Los Angeles, and CSU Sacramento. California State University is the largest public university system in the United States, with 29,000 CFA union members on staff.

Why are unionists striking? Union members are pushing for a 12 percent salary increase to “keep ahead of inflation,” along with raising the lowest baseline faculty salaries. Strikers also want a semester of paid parental leave, more breastfeeding spaces, and “safe gender-inclusive restrooms.” University Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Leora Freedman said that the university system aims to pay its workers fairly and provide competitive benefits, “but our financial commitments must be fiscally sustainable.”

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Dunn’s report in WORLD Magazine on Florida legislators ensuring bathrooms are protected spaces.