Dive Brief:
- The California State University faculty union will not strike next week, thanks to a tentative salary agreement reached Thursday that concludes more than a year of bargaining.
- The Los Angeles Times reports the union and the university went into a 48-hour blackout period on Wednesday, where they stopped strike preparations and outside communication to figure out a deal, leaving with a compromise that will be discussed publicly Friday morning.
- The California Faculty Association had threatened the largest higher education strike in the nation after arguing for a 5% raise, which an independent mediator said the university could afford, but Cal State officials were only willing to offer 2%.
Dive Insight:
The independent mediator said Cal State could afford 5% raises for its faculty but the Los Angeles Times reports Chancellor Timothy White was balancing faculty compensation against other pressing needs, including student support programs and maintenance and upgrades to buildings and technology.
Northeastern University adjunct faculty reached a contract settlement in January that averted their own planned strike. They won higher pay, more scheduling stability, a voice in shared governance, and access to money in a professional development fund. While strikes in higher education are not common, and in some states they’re against the law, they have earned faculty better pay and benefits over the years.