Rank-and-File CSU Faculty Join Together and Win

After several bargaining capitulations by the California Faculty Association (CFA) over the past three contracts, rank-and-file members across the 23-campuses of the California State University (CSU) system have had enough. The CFA represents faculty, coaches, counselors, and librarians in collective bargaining and purports to fight for them, but union leadership has become increasingly insular and bureaucratic. Many of us in the rank-and-file (including the author, who is a member of San Diego DSA) have complained for years that the CFA leadership only organizes faculty a few months prior to contract talks after already deciding their strategy with no input from members. This strategy failed in the last three contract talks, resulting in pitiful raises far below the rate of inflation. The previous contract bargaining occurred during a flush state budget period and the so-called bargaining team only asked for a 3-4% raise. What kind of negotiators start their ask on the low side, where the bosses want them? Not only did they start low, but they had 1% ($100 million) shaved off by the governor in a backroom deal because they didn’t get it in writing.

This was bad, but the straw that broke the camel’s back for many of the faculty came in the Fall 2023 bargaining session. This time, after considerable pressure, the CFA leadership allowed rank-and-file to join the now open bargaining team and it made an impact. The negotiators started high asking for 12% for the first year, to make up for wages lost to inflation during COVID, then 5% for the next two years. During the pandemic, the faculty worked overtime transitioning all courses online and keeping the university running while the administrators met safely over zoom, thanking faculty for their “service”. Naturally, the CSU administration, sitting comfortably in their $200 million/year Long Beach HQ, hired union busters and dismissively offered 5%.

Faculty were pissed

The administration refused to budge from this insulting offer, and with the backing and support of the fed-up faculty, we voted to strike (although the union leadership did not inform us of the percentage voting to strike). We were told we would fight for what was right and fair! The rank-and-file knew that there was plenty of money for raises. The CFA leadership told us how the administration consistently awarded themselves double-digit raises, including 30% to consecutive Chancellors, and had squirreled away $8 billion in “reserves”. We knew we had been screwed and faculty were pissed.

So, what happened? First, there was a one-day ULP strike in late Nov 23 on two campuses and later a one-day ULP Teamster strike. Then the faculty went out on the picket line and students went with us throughout all 23-campuses. However, before the end of the first day and without warning or polling the rank-and-file, the CFA ended the strike. In the middle of the night the CFA said they struck a deal! And what was the amazing deal they negotiated? Did they get us the 12% raise? Or maybe 10%? 8%? Nope. 5%. The same lousy deal the CSU already wanted to give us.

Formation of CREW

That’s when many of us, including the author and other DSA members in the CSU faculty, joined CREW, aka. the Caucus of Rank-and-File Education Workers. CREW began as a San Francisco State University (SFSU) listserv created by faculty frustrated by multiple lame contracts. This movement really got going after these SFSU faculty recruited across the CSU following the shock and disappointment of the third bad contract and the ludicrous one-day strikes. Faculty across the CSU organized online and in person to push the union to work for us instead of the other way around.

 CREW’s primary goal is to democratize the CFA and transform it into a fighting union in which the rank-and-file participate in all aspects of the union. Over the past year, our incredible and motivated caucus organized a “No Vote” campaign that increased the number of No votes by 500%, created a steering committee, drafted “Principles of Unity”, recruited participants on more than half the campuses of the CSU, wrote by-laws, created a membership system, and built a website. And the work is paying off. CREW is a force at the CFA assemblies, showing up uninvited and passing one democratizing resolution after another. 

In the CFA Spring 2024 Assembly, 7 of CREW's 10 resolutions passed. The fact that so many passed showed not only CREW’s dedication and organization, but also the clear desire for more democracy and transparency in the union overall. The resolutions that passed:

• Resolution to Encourage Participation in Statewide General Meetings

• Resolution to Conduct Power Structure Analysis 

• Resolution for a Big, Representative Bargaining Committee 

• Resolution for Mass Participation in Bargaining Sessions 

• Resolution to Create Article Committees 

• Resolution to Fight Severe Cutbacks in Instruction on CSU Campuses

• Resolution to Support Palestinians and Their Allies in the CSU

This Fall, we had another bumper crop of wins with 4 of CREW's 5 resolutions passing, including the resolution to establish a strike fund. Without such a fund, strikes are nearly impossible to pull off. And without the threat of a prolonged strike, unions lose the only leverage they truly have, namely the ability to withhold labor. The resolutions that passed:

• Resolution to Establish a Strike Fund

• Resolution to Add an Article Protecting Academic Freedom to the Collective Bargaining Agreement

• Resolution to Abolish the Two-Tier Faculty Labor System: Tenure for All

• Resolution for a New CBA Article Governing Use of AI

CREW is still working on the resolution to require a vote of the members to end a strike, so as not to repeat the one-day strike fiasco, but the first two votes were close and hope remains high.

There are still plenty of obstacles. Passing resolutions and enforcing them are two separate things. For example, despite passing a resolution to encourage participation in statewide CFA meetings, the CFA officers failed to email all members about the Fall Assembly. The CFA leadership also continues to ignore the plight of two faculty union members suspended for protecting student free speech rights in the Palestine solidarity encampments. CREW found out, showed up anyway, and dominated the agenda. 

Crucial to pressure CFA leadership

It will be crucial to pressure the CFA leadership to stick to their resolutions. There have also been off-the-record comments made that CREW is trying to “destroy the CFA,” which could not be further from the truth, and members have even been red-baited. Rank-and-file organized fighting unions win better contracts, and better contracts grow the union. And we need to grow the CREW membership and increase its diversity.

All in all, it’s an exciting time to be a member of the rank-and-file in the CREW. Higher education is in crisis. Neoliberal capitalists are gunning for higher ed, aiming to privatize every nook and cranny with the help of soulless MBAs and PMC careerists intent on enriching themselves, further indebting the system, and crushing labor and dissent. Union solidarity, especially rank-and-file participation and organizing will be critical in the fight to save higher education in California and beyond. CREW is a terrific step in this direction.