The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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CFA ratifies new CSU contract

The California Faculty Association announced Monday that 97 percent of its members voted to ratify the contract reached between the CFA and California State University system last month. The CSU Board of Trustees will officially vote on the contract at the meeting on May 15-16.

The contract and vote came after nearly two years of contentious negotiations. A call for further contract review came after the fact finders report was released and just days before the largest public education strike in United States history.

“We had an overwhelming vote of yes for the contract,” said sociology professor David Ballard, who serves as president of CSUN’s CFA chapter. In an e-mail to CSUN CFA members, Ballard reported that 69.8 percent of eligible voters actually voted. Out of that number, 97 percent voted to ratify the contract.

In an e-mail to CSUN CFA members, Ballard announced that he will be vacating his position on June 1. Theresa Montano will take his place, while David Diaz will be Chapter Vice President for Tenure Track and Monica Turner will be Chapter Vice President for Lecturers.

In other CSU news, one source within the CFA reported a rumor that Sam Strafaci, the lead CSU negotiator, has been placed outside of the negotiations side of the system following the CFA’s early triumph in the fight over salaries and faculty perks, and possibly even fired altogether.

A woman who answered Strafaci’s extension at the CSU last week said: “he no longer works for us,” but declined to reveal any further information.

CSU Assistant Vice Chancellor of Public Relations Claudia Keith said the decision made with Strafaci was administrative.

“I don’t have any background on why employees leave,” Keith said, before adding in an e-mail that the CSU does “not discuss individual employee’s personal matters.”

In a confidential memo obtained by the Sundial that was sent to all CSU presidents and dated April 26, Chancellor Charles B. Reed wrote that following “adversarial bargaining” with the CFA, “it has become very apparent that the Chancellor’s office of labor and employee relations functions require new direction and reform.”

The email continued, “I have decided ? to restructure these departments and give them new focus for future work with the unions and our other employees. It is my decision to change leadership of these operations.”

While Strafaci is not mentioned in the memo, CFA sources noted that the “reorganization” publicized in the memo directly affected his department, and while the CSU refused to reveal detailed employee information in this matter, language used by Keith and the individual who answered Strafaci’s phone indicated that he is no longer working with the CSU.

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