Campaign News

Sen. Leyva’s Steps Bill Passes Senate Education Committee

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 20:26:53 GMT

The Senate Education Committee passed SB 566, a bill that will restore 5% salary steps for 20,000 California State University support staff.

State Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino), author of the bill, addressed the Committee on March 10, noting that the CSU is “the only state agency to eliminate salary steps for support staff and is currently the only state agency that does not provide salary steps. As a result, staff have not been able to progress in an equitable manner compared to their counterparts.”

Sen. Leyva shared that new hires, on average, earn about $780 per month more than their peers who do the exact same jobs.

“This marginalization isn’t only unfair, it’s demoralizing for the hardworking employees that keep our CSU system functioning,” said Sen. Leyva. Many employees affected are the lowest-paid employees such as custodians and groundskeepers.

The committee of seven members passed the bill with Sen. Steven Glazer voting No; Senators Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh and Brian Dahle abstained. The Teamsters are a co-sponsor of the bill.

Speaking on behalf of SB 566 by telephone was Vicky McLeod, chair of CSUEU’s legislative committee who works at CSU Fullerton. View the committee meeting.

“For 25-years, the CSU has been unwilling to reinstate salary steps despite the failure of the existing salary structure and the inability of employees to earn a fair and equitable wage,” said McLeod. “Our employees should not be forced to work without merit pay that other state employees are eligible to receive. Especially when the CSU is allowed to accrue billions of dollars in surplus funds."

McLeod noted that both Governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom have directed the CSU to pursue a negotiated resolution and review the compensation and economic mobility for its lowest-wage employees.

“Although we will soon begin a management-labor group to review our salary structure, our requests to bargain salary steps have mostly been ignored,” McLeod said.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will next consider the bill. Read the Fact Sheet on SB 566 and our press release.

SB 566 Steps Bill Fixes Broken Salary System

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 18:59:11 GMT

Describing the CSU’s salary system as broken, State Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) has introduced legislation to restore 5% salary steps for 20,000 California State University support staff.

SB 566, called the S.T.E.P.S Act (Steps to Economic Parity in Salaries), “would rectify a long history of salary inequities,” according to the fact sheet accompanying the bill, which is sponsored by our Union.

Read the letter Sen. Leyva wrote to the CSU:

“It is my hope—and urging—that, under your leadership, a new commitment will take place to negotiate an outcome that ensures all CSU support staff are shown the dignity and respect they deserve. I am hopeful that a fair and equitable resolution can be agreed to between the CSU administration and these affected workers.”

If nothing else, this past year has shown that frontline CSU support staff are the backbone of the institution, allowing it to continue providing quality education to students throughout a deadly pandemic. It’s time to recognize and reward our contributions and sacrifice by making university salaries equitable for support staff, many of whom are among the lowest-paid in the University system such as custodians and groundskeepers.

"The time is now, the CSU must act to repair an unequitable system," said CSUEU President Catherine Hutchinson. "We have seen overwhelming bipartisan support from the state Legislature to fix the broken salary system. We hope the new chancellor will show leadership and do what is needed to lift up the frontline support staff of the CSU."

Background
The CSU has a salary structure damaged since the 1990s. Employees’ pay is frozen after hire in the lower ranks of their pay scales with no career movement. Employees can work for decades without even reaching the middle of the pay scale because of the absence of service steps. This creates a system where newly-hired employees earn more than their long-term colleagues, while working side-by-side doing the same job at the same CSU campus.

Here's the Fact Sheet on SB 566 and our press release.

COVID-19 Disrupts Union Bid for Salary Steps

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 13:07:41 GMT

To say it’s been a difficult year is more than an understatement.

As we’re all too aware, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of society in our country and throughout the world. Almost overnight, the pandemic produced an economic turmoil from which we will not soon recover. In California – the world’s fifth largest economy – we witnessed an anticipated $21 billion budget surplus quickly turn into a $54 billion deficit. Within weeks of the pandemic taking hold, California saw 4 million unemployment claims and state employees’ salaries slashed by 10%.

Just five months ago, our Union sat across from the CSU to bargain salary steps for CSU support staff. We presented documents that proved the CSU could easily afford annual 5% step increases for its employees. We provided evidence that confirmed the CSU misled employees and state legislators by claiming it didn’t have the money to fairly pay its workers. We also reminded CSU of the conclusions reached in the CSUEU-sponsored 2019 state audit that found the CSU was hoarding a budget surplus of nearly $4 billion, including $1.5 billion in unrestricted funds – accrued from student tuition and salary savings – that could be used for CSU operational costs, including employee salaries.

The CSU has reported their budget surplus increased an additional $200 million from the level reported in the audit.

Despite the day’s rain on our kick-off rally on March 10, hundreds of support staff marched and chanted throughout the Northridge campus demanding salary steps for CSU support staff. After years of lobbying, letter-writing and phone calls by CSUEU members, we were finally winning our long-fought battle to reinstate salary steps. Unfortunately, we couldn’t avoid the impact of COVID-19.

Nine days later, Gov. Newsom issued his stay at home order, and our lives haven’t been the same since. At the time, our sponsored salary steps bill – AB 369 – authored by Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber remained one step away from the Governor’s desk pending the outcome of this year’s contract negotiations with the CSU. With the onslaught of COVID-19, salary step negotiations – and Governor Newsom’s directive – were not completed. As a result, CSUEU and the bill’s author held AB 369 to avoid a likely veto by the Governor – an outcome that would devastate our efforts.

Now CSU is threatening layoffs while hoarding billions of unspent revenue. CSUEU successfully added language to the state budget that directs CSU to use its 4 billion dollar surplus to mitigate state budget cuts, yet we have seen no evidence that this is occurring. In response, CSUEU continues meetings with the Governor and legislative leaders to hold CSU accountable and oppose any attempts to lay off CSU support staff.

Despite this disappointing setback, CSUEU refuses to give up on salary steps. In fact, we renewed our commitment to gain pay equity and ensure CSU support staff are treated with respect and dignity. Assemblymember Dr. Weber also recommitted herself to this effort, and agreed to reintroduce a salary steps bill next year when the Legislature reconvenes.

In the meantime, please continue taking the steps needed to remain safe, and know that your Union is doing everything it can to protect worker jobs, ensure campus re-openings include adequate safety measures, and prevent the CSU from taking actions that ignore our contributions and the importance of our work. If your campus administration is making changes that threaten your job or your workplace, don’t hesitate to let us know. We must not be silent.

As AB 369 author Assemblymember Dr. Weber wrote to us last year:

“We must remind ourselves what history teaches us: that acts of injustice take multiple battles to overcome. Let us continue to care for one another, with the understanding that a harm done to you is also a harm done to me. Hope is not lost. This battle is not over. This battle will be won.... Believe me when I say: We will take what is rightfully ours!”

Steps Bill AB 369 Advances to Senate

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 14:47:28 GMT

Steps Bill AB 369 Advances to Senate!

CSUEU-sponsored legislation to restore 5% salary steps to Support Staff cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee today and advances for a full Senate vote in September.

Yes, you can applaud! But be prepared as we have more work to do in the Senate and with the governor after Labor Day.

Assembly Bill 369, authored by Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber and co-sponsored by SEIU and Teamsters, will restore an annual 5% salary step for support staff with a satisfactory performance evaluation.

The bill had won overwhelming bi-partisan support from the Assembly in May.

“Today was a great win for CSU employees who are the backbone of the University,” said Vicky McLeod, CSUEU’s legislative committee chair. “We are hopeful this legislation to restore fairness will pass the Senate and will be signed by Governor Newsom.”

CSU support staff are the only state employees who do not receive salary steps. These merit-based salary increases were taken away by the CSU in 1996, and since then the CSU has refused to negotiate salary steps. Over the past two decades, the workers who oversee the functions and operations of the CSU haven’t earned a fair and equitable wage even as the CSU continues to profit from intentionally neglecting its employees.

You can lift up our #StrongerTogether efforts by joining or renewing your union membership with CSUEU today! If you haven’t already, sign up to be a PAC member and help our union succeed in important political advocacy campaigns.

Make sure to sign up to receive important updates via email or text messaging.

URGENT: Tell your Senator to support salary steps!

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 11:20:25 GMT

For 23 years, the CSU has unjustly withheld merit-based salary increases for its Support Staff. Now an audit has come out revealing the CSU has been hoarding $1.5 billion in surplus.

Read the scathing Sacramento Bee editorial.

As State Auditor Elaine Howle wrote: "... the $1.5 billion in these outside accounts is available for CSU to spend at its discretion to support instruction and other operating costs." Read full audit report here.

It's time our Legislature demand accountability from the CSU. It is time for salary steps to be restored for Support Staff!

Assembly Bill 369, sponsored by the CSUEU and co-sponsored by SEIU and Teamsters, would restore 5% annual salary steps based on a satisfactory evaluation.

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), has been passed by the Assembly. It is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee, and a vote is expected in late August. Once approved, a full Senate Floor vote would follow.

Senators value the voices of constituents - a personal letter counts a great deal.

Deadline extension: July 10
Mail your letter to your Senator directly to the State Capitol (see address provided below).

Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Type or hand-write your letter.
Use CSUEU talking points. Click here for sample.
It is critical to “stay on message” but also to personalize your letter. Go to the Find Your California Legislator page.
Mail your letter ASAP c/o The State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Include your home address to show that you live in the Senator's district.