SAN FRANCISCO -- California State University officials and the union that represents faculty members say the agreement that forestalled a 23-campus strike would increase salaries by 10.5 percent over three years and double how long it takes newly hired instructors to be eligible for retirement benefits.
The tentative deal announced Friday represents a compromise between the 26,000 member California Faculty Association and the nation's largest public university system and comes as both sides girded for an unprecedented five-day work stoppage next week.
The faculty association, which represents professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches, had scheduled a systemwide strike starting Wednesday to protest the size of the pay increases the university planned to give its members this year.
Before the agreement was reached, the union had demanded a 5 percent increase for 2015-16. The university had said it could only afford 2 percent.
Union members still must ratify the deal.
