After the California Faculty Association threatened on Monday to strike across all 23 CSU campuses if their contract demands aren't met, both sides are still far apart on any potential deal.
The faculty is currently asking for a 5% pay increase across the board and an additional 2.65% increase for eligible employees. According to the CFA, teachers were given a 10% raise ten years ago, but didn't receive it due to the recession. They now think that they're due for half of that thanks to better financial times.
The CSU system is offering 2%, and both sides agree that they're not close.
"The difference between 2% and 5% is substantial to someone who only makes $30,000 a year," says Dr. Chris Cruz-Boone, a lecturer at CSUB and a member of the board of directors at CFA.
Vice Provost at CSUB David Schecter also says that the difference isn't as small as it seems.
"That's tens of millions of dollars when you talk about a percentage point here and a percentage point there."
But what can students and parents expect if a strike happens?
"If we do strike," Cruz-Boone said, "there will be no classes for those of us who participate. There will be no office hours, there will be no graded papers, there will be no emails."
Schecter gave his perspective on the situation.
"If faculty wish to strike, then they know that they're going out and leaving their classes behind and their students behind and that's the choice that they would be making."
If a deal is not struck, strikes would take place across CSU campuses on April 13-15 and 18-19.
