California State University workers rally as 29,000 faculty vote on strike authorization

Five Unions Fight Back at California State University

On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, several hundred workers carried out a march and rally at California State University (CSU) Long Beach, according to the World Socialist Web Site. The action was held under the slogan “Five Unions, One Fight,” uniting members of the California Faculty Association (CFA) and staff across four other campus unions. This protest formed part of a series of campus actions coinciding with a strike authorization vote by 29,000 CFA members. Together, the five participating unions represent close to 80,000 faculty, staff, student workers, and academic professionals across the CSU system.

Workers at the Long Beach rally highlighted the pressure of depressed salaries, inflation, and years of temporary employment. Jonathan, a geography lecturer at CSU Long Beach and a CFA member, told the World Socialist Web Site that pay compression persists while the cost of living has surged over the last 20 to 25 years. He noted that he works 60 to 80 hours a week but is only paid for nine months. Cristal, a museum worker and California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) member at the same campus, told the World Socialist Web Site that 52 percent of the staff at the campus are temporary. With three years in a temporary role, she explained that she cannot afford to move closer to her job without a raise and stable job security.

Broader State Worker Strikes and Contract Battles

This wave of campus organising unfolds alongside broader public sector struggles across California. Jacobin reports that on October 21, one hundred thousand state workers represented by SEIU Local 1000 launched a one-day unfair labour practice strike with picket lines in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities. Marking the first strike in the history of SEIU Local 1000, workers are demanding better pay, affordable health care coverage, and the flexibility to work from home after working without a contract since July 1.

State workers received no raises this summer after agreeing to a pay freeze last year to help meet a budget shortfall, prompting the union to demand a 20 per cent raise over three years. Workers also face Governor Gavin Newsom’s mandatory return-to-office policy, which requires four days per week in the office. Jonah Paul, a state worker in Sacramento, told Jacobin that the mandate operates as a severe reduction in quality of life on top of stagnant wages.

Furthermore, Jonathan told the World Socialist Web Site that funding has been depleted, noting that political appointees are reviewing science grants at federal agencies and that layoffs have hit NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Unfair Labour Practices and Political Betrayal

According to Jacobin, SEIU Local 1000 filed unfair labour practice charges against CalHR with the state Public Employment Relations Board for delaying negotiations and failing to respond to proposals. Giovanni Martinez, a state worker and steward in Sacramento, told Jacobin that this is the worst bargaining cycle he has witnessed in ten years. He noted that workers feel taken for granted by Governor Newsom and his appointees, despite the union previously contributing $1 million to help Newsom fight a recall campaign in 2021.

In response to these challenges, Local 1000 members have been organising to increase membership numbers. According to Jacobin, this has included activists approaching non-members at worksites and, in previous years, the local offering "strike schools" to members.

This piece was generated automatically by an AI model from the sources listed below. It has not been reviewed by a human editor.

Sources

• California State University workers rally as 29,000 faculty vote on strike authorization — World Socialist Web Site
• 100,000 California State Workers Struck Last Month — Jacobin