After two years of bargaining and three weeks of voting, the California Faculty Association yesterday announced that a tentative agreement between the union and the management of the California State University has been ratified by CFA members on all 23 CSU campuses. The vote was 91% in favor of ratification.

CFA President Lillian Taiz, a history professor at Cal State Los Angeles, congratulated the thousands of members who voted, as well as the union bargaining team that was at the table for more than two years. They participated in strike votes and picket lines, spreading the message about the tough challenges to keeping California’s public higher education system open and available to working families.

Said Taiz:

The final agreement has produced a balanced, good contract in light of difficult times. It acknowledges years of slashed public funding for the CSU and stands firm on the things faculty need to provide quality education to our students.

Later this month, the tentative agreement goes to a vote of the CSU Board of Trustees. The contract runs through June 2014.

With a new contract secured, CFA is immediately turning its organizing focus to the November 6 election.

Passage of Prop. 30 will be a step toward rationalizing state funding for our public education system and, at long last, it will begin to roll back fees for students. Defeat of Prop. 32 will ensure that CFA and other labor unions retain the ability to pool the individual power of union members, so that we all have a voice in the political arena.

Learn more about CFA's political program.