California Faculty Association, Northridge Chapter

March 15, 2007

Faculty Senate Report

Dear Senators, Students, Guests and Administrators:

The CSUN chapter of CFA was asked to submit a written report for the March 15, 2007Faculty Senate meeting and to be ready to answer questions about the current state of contract negotiations. Given the current state of contract bargaining this may be the last report to the Senate before s strike commences on campus, that is if authorized by the vote currently being conducted. The following bullet points may assist in a discussion of the relevant facts and serve to update the campus on the current state of contract negotiations.

  1. Currently we have completed fact finding and as of this week/next the final report is to be issued to the parties. We are currently awaiting that final document and will then entry a ten day quite period mandated by state regulations. Specific details of the fact finding report are still under control of the fact finder – meaning we have a gag order in place on both parties and specific details of the fact finding report are not to be discussed till that ten day timeframe is completed or earlier if released by the fact finder.
  2. A strike authorization vote has been taken on many of the CSU campuses and finalizes today at Northridge (polls close at 6 p.m. today). Please encourage your faculty to vote by means of the e-ballot circulated around campus this week or they can still vote in person (have them visit the tent in front of library).
  3. If authorized by the strike vote, rolling two day strikes will commence on various campuses in the near future. That is if contract talks remained stalled. The rolling strike procedure adopted by CFA means that some campus will be on strike while others will not; the net effect is a longer strike period for the CSU system while minimizing the effect on students at any one campus. Please note the CFA bargaining team remains ready, willing and able to resume talks and that it was the CSU that withdrew from these talks back in July. The current best estimate for these job actions still remains mid-April (about three weeks from this meetingdate and perhaps before the next scheduled Senate session).
  4. Legislative support for faculty, both from surroundingcampus political districts, and in Sacramento, has been building. Local political representatives were invited to an information event on campus recently where they heard from faculty, staff and students on the issues. CSU representatives were also invited to this same event by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine’s office who organized the day and the CSU chose not to attend. At the table in the back of the room you will find a copy of a letter from state legislative representatives asking the Chancellor to settle the contract with faculty. Please share this with your colleagues and note a copy of it is posted on the CSUN CFA website.
  5. Lastly, I have copied a CFA statewide letter to the CSU Board of Trustees for your review. It asks them to intervene in the current contract negotiations and to help settle the differences before a strike becomes necessary. Copy is also available on the CSUN CFA website.

If CSUN faculty members wish to comment on these recent developmentsin the bargaining process or offer their volunteer time to help, if needed, on the picket lines for the two day CSUN campus strike, please have them contact their CFA office on campus. We can be reached at 818.677.5919 or .