Staff and students at California State Universities (CSU) are doing a strike against the administration. Their demand for better benefits is impacting the entire California education system.
Beginning their strikes on Jan. 22, the CSU faculty took to the streets carrying posters and shirts to show their dedication for the cause. As inflation is on the rise, university staff find it difficult to keep up with living costs.
“I think there is a greater need for at least partial benefits to be provided by the employers. Compared to the past, the cost for the benefits have skyrocketed. When someone who started 10-15 years ago worked for the college program, the benefits would have been a small percent of their salary, but the cost of the same benefits have increased over time,” said AVHS math teacher Michael Di Paola.
This strike hasn’t just affected the faculty, but the consequences of it impact the students in the college. Due to staff shortages, the assistant teachers often taught students or watched videos. The absence of teachers to help students in class shifts the pressure for students to learn more topics independently.
“If the protests had continued longer, it would have taken away class time from the semester. A few of my professors had accommodated for one week of protesting by planning to remove some sections we were going to go over in class since there isn’t enough time,” said San Diego State University Student Matthew Nader (‘27).
With the strike lasting nearly a week, the teacher’s union, California’s Faculty Association, came up with a tentative deal to give more pay to the teachers. CSU staff relief may lead to teacher stress due to the need to adapt to a fast-changing economy.
“In the end, the union was able to reach a compromise and it seems like they got a satisfying result from the protests,” said Nader.
Shimon Arai • Feb 29, 2024 at 3:01 pm
Rishit’s producing fire articles like always. Keep up the good work.