Faculty union protests contract impasse

CSUS California Faculty Association members are calling for a vote of no confidence and for the removal of CSU Chancellor Charles Reed, citing his leadership as "divisive" within the CSU system.

Faculty and students picketed in the Library quad Wednesday, protesting Chancellor Reed's unwillingness to negotiate on a new faculty contract.

The protest was organized by the California Faculty Association, which is in negotiations with Reed and the CSU board of trustees for a new faculty contract. Bargaining has been at an impasse since July.

According to Jeff Lustig, CFA president for CSUS, between 1,500 and 2,000 faculty members and students participated on CSU campuses throughout the state.

"Fullerton collected 1,500 student signatures on a petition supporting CFA and calling on the chancellor to come to an agreement on the contract," he said.

A petition circulated during the CSUS rally stated that Reed is "attempting to impose market-driven training (to) replace liberal education, part-time, short-term faculty displace professional tenured and tenure-track faculty."

Paul Burke, a CFA staff member, said the drive will continue for the next two weeks, and will then submit the petitions to Governor-elect Gray Davis.

"There were between 75 to 100 marchers with us and we have collected close to 200 signatures in two days," Burke said.

The CFA says that the bargaining process is almost at an end and the administration is ready to impose its "final offer." The union says they will resist this effort and possibly strike as a last resort.

"We're happy with the support that students and staff have shown us," said Lew Robinson, professor of foreign language and CFA member.

"The CFA also opposes the elimination of work ceilings, as faculty on average teach four classes each semester. CSU wants to erase those limits and the CFA wants to stay status quo," said Burke.

"The elimination results in a lower quality education as it does not offer the interaction with professors and students crucial in education," said Lew Robinson, professor of foreign language and CFA member.

David Wagner, dean of faculty and staff affairs, said the university administration has responses to the issues raised by the CFA, but none to the rally itself.

He said the two issues that the CFA has been most outspoken on are closing the salary gap and the issue of merit pay. On the salary gap issue, Chancellor Reed is proposing a two-year 11-percent pay package that Wagner maintains would significantly close the salary gap.

The faculty's concerns about the unfairness of merit pay are "unfounded" and he hoped a new contract could be negotiated quickly, Wagner said.

"On merit pay, we have had a system established for three years. While no one is pleased with every aspect of the implications of that system, Reed's view is that additional dollars must be used for merit pay," said Wagner.