photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCB
Sonoma State faculty and supporters picket at the University's main entrance during the historic
CSU faculty strike on Monday, January 22nd, 2023.

Just like that it’s over.

Faculty at Sonoma State, and across the CSU are back in the classroom Tuesday after bargaining teams for the union and the university reached a late-night contract agreement.

One of the striking faculty now back on the campus is Elaine Newman, a math professor at Sonoma State and member of the California Faculty Association’s bargaining team.

"Being back on campus today, faculty are professionals," Newman said. "We're getting into our classrooms and we're talking to students and we're, we're doing what we would normally do on the first week of classes now."

Newman said the strike’s end has been a welcome one.

"It does feel really great because faculty said to me over and over again, 'Hey, you know, I wanna be advocating for this fair contract,'" Newman said. "But faculty also said, 'you know, I'd rather be teaching'. So it was, it was hard. It was hard to go on strike because, you know, our main goal is to be in the classroom with students."

Newman said the tentative deal has been warmly received so far.

"Many faculty I've talked to are very excited," Newman said. "We're all looking to see exactly what the details are. There are a few faculty who still wish we could have gotten more. It's not a perfect deal, but I think it's a really good deal and it really supports faculty who are at the bottom of our pay scale."

The tentative agreement includes pay raises for all faculty and specific increases to the salary floor for the two lowest paid salary steps, and things like increased parental leave.

All important wins Newman said, but not the end.

"We're gonna keep fighting for the important ratio of mental health counselors to students in the system," Newman said. "Again, it's not a perfect contract. We didn't get all that we were fighting for, and management needs to hear the criticism of the faculty. It's very important that we achieve all of those demands."

Speaking on the agreement, CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia said she is "extremely pleased and deeply appreciative that we have reached common ground with CFA."

The mostly cheery scenes on the picket lines at SSU Monday were twice dampened by violent encounters between striking faculty and members of the public.

Sonoma State University Police are investigating one altercation where the driver of a Tesla attempted to pepper spray two faculty picketing at the university's main entrance on East Cotati.

As well as another incident where four teenagers, whom police say have been identified, shot small water beads at striking faculty near the intersection of East Cotati and Bodway Parkway.

Newman said it's not believed either incident is specifically in retaliation for the victims' participation in the strike.