CSUN staff members gathered at the Sundial Fountain in front of Bayramian Hall to advocate for pay raises that were not delivered in their union contracts by the CSU system on Wednesday afternoon.
The rally brought together approximately 50 CSUN staff members, many of whom were part of different union divisions, including the California Faculty Association (CFA), Academic Professionals of California (APC), California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) and Teamsters. The march was led around the campus with participants holding signs and bullhorns, repeating their demand that the Steps program be properly implemented.
The Steps program refers to the salary structure for CSU staff members, with wage increases occurring based on each employee’s experience level and years of service. The current disagreement is between the union and the CSU’s understanding of where funding for wage increases currently stands.
Union worker contracts state that if the compact, or state budget commitment, to the CSU is fully funded, full implementation of these funds to the employees should take place automatically. If allocating those funds does not occur, employees are then welcome to enter into negotiations with the CSU over the Salary Steps to “bargain” over the next steps.
Since a portion of the approved funding to the CSU has been deferred until 2027, including part of the money due to workers under their 2025 compact, the CSU considers the funds for these raises not fully available.
According to a statement on the CSUEU website, the union disagrees. The union maintains that they are “considering entering into re-opener negotiations” to make progress towards “fair pay and salary equity, not the technicalities.”
Tony Spraggins, a member of the CSUEU and part of the Physical Plant Management department at CSUN, was one of the demonstrators leading the march. Spraggins brought up the importance of the higher-ups at CSUN “stepping up to the plate” and advocating for what the staff members need.
“It’s about the worth,” said Spraggins. “They always say we’re important, ‘we can’t do this without you.’ Those are words. [The raise] would mean that [staff] would be getting paid what they feel they are worth.”
Spraggins, a 24-year employee with the CSU, expressed that he loves his job, but has become increasingly woeful of the role due to the pay disparities. “The CSU said that they were out to get and retain excellent people, and that needs to apply at all levels,” said Spraggins.
During the rally, Chapter 312 CSUEU President Hai Tin Lang stated, “All the managers get a raise, regardless of budget. But for our raises, we have to wait for the Board of Trustees to agree, the Chancellor’s Office to agree and everyone to agree, and then they will say, ‘Oh, no, we don’t have the money.’”
A common theme that was expressed by staff members was how this issue has affected the culture on campus.
“We feel disrespected,” said Ernest Phillips, an air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic at CSUN. “It’s hard to give it your all when they just continue to underhand and do things to make us feel that we’re not appreciated.”
Dustin Madrid, a locksmith employed with the CSU for 16 years, said that he took on another job as an airport bus driver to make ends meet. Most weeks, Madrid molds his airport job around his hours at CSUN, often working graveyard and swing shifts at the airport during the same week.
Madrid says that secondary jobs are common among his coworkers, but believes that the implementation of the promised raises could eliminate reliance on secondary income.
“It’s unsafe to drive tired, so a lot of the times I have to call my night short,” Madrid said. “I need the money, but you know, physically, I can’t do it no more. Mentally, I can’t do it no more either. It’s getting to the point where I’m trying to figure out what else I’m gonna do because I don’t know if I’m gonna make it another year doing two jobs like that, you know? It’s too hard.”
CSUEU contracts expire on June 30, and the organizers maintained that they have hope that the bargaining team will meet with the CSU to re-negotiate the contracts before then. However, many expressed that they would be prepared to strike if action is not taken.
