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opinion:
our view
CFA, CSU must
work together
As students of this
university, we like to learn. But, while the California Faculty
Association and the California State University system negotiate
a contract, we students feel the effect. Both sides must start
working together to lessen the impact on students throughout
CSU.
In the latest round
of negotiations, the CFA and CSU reached an impasse and the
professors have continued to work under an expired contract.
For that, we give accolades. Unfortunately, neither side can
agree on anything -- including their statistics.
While the CFA says
the full-time faculty have only risen by a net gain of 1.5
percent, CSU says 2,315 full-time professors have been hired
within the last five years.
Usually numbers
don't lie. But in this case, one or both sides may be manipulating
its numbers. If neither side can play nice, students will
not have any professors to teach courses.
With this marginal
increase, the professors in the CFA are worried about their
workload.
The CFA plays the
student card, saying that part-time professors have less time
for students since they must teach at other colleges to make
a living.
The CSU plays the
professor benefits card, saying the Faculty Early Retirement
Program, a well-used program allowing teachers to get paid
the same amount and teach less, is draining resources.
The CSU must step
up and give faculty more time for students and the CFA must
realize that money was allocated elsewhere.
In the meantime,
the CFA is worried about an increase in salary. We do feel
faculty should be paid the most possible since they are, after
all, teaching tomorrow's future. But, if CSU says there is
not any money, not much can be done.
And now the CFA
has planned a "teach-in," scheduled for Oct. 17. Does
that not show bad faith on the side of the CFA? Or, if students
are such a concern, why are such scare tactics being used?
The tactic may
get results, but it is unnecessary and even tacky, to announce
it so far ahead of time.
Given the tenor
and length of the negotiations, we are not optimistic that
the situation will be resolved before the date of the teach-in.
Neither side is likely to blink at this point.
The ramifications
of the protest are likely to impact the negotiations, either
positively or negatively.
We urge both sides
to continue negotiating, as in the long run, the students
are the ones who will suffer most, either by losing class
time or by losing qualified individuals, chased away from
the teaching profession by a lack of money.
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