Union rally’s small turnout disappointing to writer


On March 30 there was a call to union members to rally while the bargaining was taking place on campus here at Cal State Long Beach. I was extremely disappointed at the turnout. The California State University system is trying to take more rights away from us, increase our parking fees and offer us zero in raises to get our salaries up even close to the cost of living increases.

I know there are more of us disgruntled with the way the CSU has treated us over the past decade, yet they choose to remain silent. Why?

This apathetic attitude is part of what has got us here today — employees with no regular pay raises and no way to move up in your employment classification. This same attitude is what has gotten this state and our country where it is today.

I am not sure if it’s a situation of it being all about “me” and not caring about the other guy. People need to get off their hind ends and be heard. Between faculty and staff there should have been a few thousand people at that rally. I think CSU employees could learn a lesson from the immigrant protests that went on in California this week. There is power in numbers, not apathy.

So to all the CSULB employees who went off to lunch or stayed in their offices, shame on you.

Shame on you for not supporting the people who are fighting for you. Shame on you for not caring enough about your co-workers to take 30 minutes of your precious time to try to do something about it.

I guess you all think it is OK that the upper management of the CSU system, which is already earning six figures, got a 49.5 percent pay increase over the next five years and is offering us absolutely nothing.

— Toni Kukreja, Parking Transportation and Event Services

Calendar

Display Ads