Last year, California State University Employees Union, in partnership with the CSU, APC, Teamsters 2010, and other CSU union groups, successfully lobbied the state Legislature to authorize and fund a comprehensive salary study of non-faculty staff.
The study is now complete and its findings clear:
- Wages are stagnant
- New hire salaries match that of senior staff
- Staff salaries are on average 12% behind the market rate
The study also recommends a 9-step salary system to help support wage growth and a living wage for non-faculty staff. We need Governor Newsom and the state Legislature to fund salary structure reform at the CSU and ask that the state increase the University budget by $287 million.
We ask that you take swift action and contact your legislators today to urge that the state fund the recommendations from the study.
Please fill out the form on the CSUEU website and make your voice heard.
https://www.csueu.org/take-action
While there are pre-filled messages on the form already, we recommend using one of the following subject lines and message body below.
Here is a brief tutorial for guidance.
Message #1
Support Funding of Salary Steps
The broken salary structure in use by the CSU system has an unfortunate impact on our students. The students of the California State University deserve to be supported by an experienced dedicated work force. But as a consequence of the lack of meaningful wage increases and essentially no upward mobility, CSU staff are increasingly staying just a few years to gain experience and then moving on to better opportunities outside of the system. Dedicated staff members must also consider their own family’s needs and are forced to make the difficult decision to leave thereby creating a revolving door. We thank Governor Newsom, the members of the State Assembly, and members of the State Senate for working with the CSU to develop this historic report.
Please support the mission of the CSU and the hardworking members of the CSU workforce by funding the recommendations of the Mercer Report/Salary Study to implement salary steps.
Message #2
CSU employees deserve a livable wage
Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Newsom and the California State Legislature, the California State University recently was the subject of a comprehensive review of its salary structure for non-faculty staff. The findings are exactly what University employees have been saying over the past two decades: Wages are stagnant and new hire salaries often match those of senior staff.
CSU Staff provide essential, frontline services that directly support student success and well-being. Workers deserve a livable wage that keeps up with the cost of living. For this to happen, the Legislature and Governor need to invest in the institution and its employees.
Please support a budget augmentation for the CSU of $287 million. Thank you very much.
Message #3
Say NO to stagnant wages at the CSU
Two years of the pandemic have clearly shown that frontline employees are essential to the CSU mission of providing educational opportunities to students and ensuring their success. Yet, public University employees struggle to stretch our paychecks every month. Many are forced to work two jobs to support our families.
A recent comprehensive study, authorized by the Governor and state Legislature, finds significant wage compression at the CSU (where new hire salaries are close to those of senior staff) and that on average, staff salaries are 12% behind the market average.
We need a reboot. The CSU is losing highly qualified workers seeking better opportunities and higher pay elsewhere. The CSU can be a leader in committing to Good Jobs for its workers – if our state Governor and Legislature choose to make the investment.
We need your support for a budget augmentation for the CSU of $287 million, plus an additional $112 million for our faculty colleagues. An investment in CSU employees is an investment in the future. Thank you.
If you prefer to use this postcard, you can print the form image, fill that out, and send to your local legislator. You may use this link to find the appropriate party.
https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
You may also deliver to your campus stewards.