CFA, CSU reach formal impasse

Salary negotiations between the union representing faculty in the Cal State University system and administrators of the system have reached an official impasse after last week's meeting at Cal State Dominguez Hills. 

"Essentially, there was no effort by the administration to come up with anything new, or even answer the questions we had," said Jim Smith, California Faculty Association spokesman.

Both sides also could not agree on the annual Faculty Merit Increase program at the June 22 meeting at CSUDH, a program designed to give faculty raises based on their accomplishments throughout the school year, Smith said.

The union would like to see the merit increase program abolished and replaced with an annual cost of living raise, Smith said. 

Moreover, the union says that the program is ill defined and discriminatory, Smith said. "We have quite a bit of evidence that it discriminates against women," he said. For now, the union is asking for a moratorium on the program.

The Faculty Merit Increase program was agreed upon by the union in the contract negotiated 1998, said Sam Strafaci, senior director of employee relations.

In the negotiations, called "reopeners," the union is asking for a six percent general raise for all faculty, Smith said. But, the administration wants to divert 2.4 percent of $64 million in next year's state budget to the FMI program, said Gary Reichard, vice president of academic personnel, last week.

Instead of a full six percent in general raises, the faculty would get 3.6 percent and have to prove they deserve the rest by submitting a report of their work throughout the year to the FMI process, Strafaci said.

With the impasse officially in place, the next step will be a mediation process where the state will try and bring about a compromise. Failing that, there may be a fact finding where an independent arbiter attempts offers both parties the best settlement. Failing that, there could be a strike, though both sides assure the situation is no where near that point.