LOS ANGELES – Classes and services for more than 450,000 students across 23 California State University (CSU) campuses could be disrupted if unions representing 80,000 workers proceed with strike authorization over a pay dispute.
Three unions filed unfair labor practice charges against the university system after Cal State said it cannot provide pay raises that were included in collective bargaining agreements.
The unions will hold a press conference at 8:45 a.m. July 22 outside the CSU Chancellor’s Office at 401 Golden Shore before the Board of Trustees meeting to discuss the pay dispute.
CSU management told the unions that incremental pay raises and cost-of-living adjustments agreed upon in contracts will not be provided. The university system received full funding in the 2025 state budget, the union said.
Teamsters Local 2010, the California Faculty Association and the California State University Employees Union filed the charges alleging contract violations.
The unfair labor practice charges are a formal step a union can take when alleging contract disputes, which could lead to strike authorization votes if the matter remains unresolved.
Any work stoppage would affect professors, librarians, counselors, maintenance staff, food service workers and administrative personnel across the Cal State system.
State legislators are expected to attend Tuesday’s press conference regarding the funding matter.
Cal State operates the largest four-year public university system in the country, serving nearly half a million students from San Diego to Humboldt.
The dispute centers on whether the university system will implement previously negotiated salary increases.
Neither side has shared its position on the funding allocations or provided a timeline for the pay raises.
