California State University maintenance workers plan to strike this week, a move that could disrupt operations at campuses including Cal Poly Humboldt.
The Teamsters Local 2010 alleges the university system committed an unfair labor practice by backing out of salary increases negotiated in the most recent contract.
Phil Bradley, chief union steward and locksmith at Cal Poly Humboldt, said this was the first time in three decades that maintenance workers received regular raises as part of their contracts.
“There was no real career path progression for anyone,” he said. “It did kind of encourage job hopping.”
The CSU reopened union contracts under a provision tying raises to state funding, arguing that lower-than-expected allocations allowed it to revisit the agreements.
At the same time, lawmakers approved a $144 million zero-interest loan to delay some cuts until the 2026 fiscal year.
Instead of the agreed-upon raises, the university system offered workers a one-time bonus of 3% of their annual base pay. University officials said the bonuses were a more fiscally responsible option than ongoing pay raises.
“The CSU loves to brag about what a great economic engine our campuses are for our communities,” Bradley said. “They love to talk about how much economic mobility a CSU education gives our graduates, but they don't seem willing to invest at all in the people that make all that possible.”
The university system also approved pay raises of up to 20% for some campus presidents last year, which the union leaders called irresponsible.
State lawmakers have introduced bills to cap administrator pay and close the loophole allowing CSU to reopen contracts.
The strike is scheduled for Tuesday through Friday. Bradley said campuses could see some maintenance-related disruptions.
“There's going to be some really busy managers trying to cover everything,” he said. “There's some additional impacts from our coworkers and other unions that are going to be observing the strike line or even joining us on the strike line.”
