photo credit: Courtesy California Faculty Association
Striking faculty and staff say inflation has eroded their salaries.

The union representing faculty and staff at Sonoma State and the twenty-two other California State University campuses announced this week that more than 3/4 of members have approved a tentative agreement, ending the likelihood of further job actions.

Faculty staged a number of rotating one day walkouts at a number of campuses, and staged a systemwide walkout on the first day of instruction during the spring semester.

"Inflation has taken a huge cut out of our salaries," said Elaine Newman, a professor of math and statistics at SSU, and a member of the bargaining team. She said recent economic trends have eroded the value of pay.

Statewide, the California Faculty Association says 76 percent of members approved the tentative deal.

The agreement provides a 10% raise within six months, raises the floor for the lowest-paid faculty, increases paid parental leave, among other changes.

Newman said that while most rank and file are glad to have workplace strife in the rear-view mirror, some aren't pleased.

"Overwhelmingly, people are really relived that we have this agreement, that we've ratified it and we passed it. Many members of our campus community are really getting a huge benefit out of it. There are some faculty who are disappointed and feel that if we had stayed out on strike longer that we would have gotten a better deal," Newman said.

Union leaders say they will redouble efforts to maintain affordability and equality while fighting austerity. Newman said the union will keep fighting.

"I was just talking to faculty this morning that live paycheck to paycheck and they are not at the bottom of our salary schedule. They are worried about being able to afford a home, funding child care. We really do need a lot more for our members and we will be beginning bargaining next year for the next round of our contract and we are really going to be fighting for all of our faculty," Newman said.

The Board of Trustees is expected to ratify the agreement next month.