The strike threatens to cancel classes for up to 460,00 students.
Nearly 30,000 professors, librarians and other employees in the California State University system are set to launch a five-day strike on Monday, potentially canceling classes for hundreds of thousands of students over the first week of the spring semester.
The worker protest follows monthslong contract negotiations centered on pay increases and other workplace improvements for employees at the nation’s largest public university system, which serves about 460,000 students spread across 23 campuses.
Faculty members have demanded a 12% pay hike, a higher minimum salary and longer parental leave, among other demands, Charles Toombs, president of the California Faculty Association and a professor at San Diego State University, .
“We need to be paid for the tremendous work we do to make the California State University System a great system,” Toombs .
It remains unclear how many members will participate in the strike and, in turn, the extent of disruption for campus activities.
“I expect most of the classes on every campus to be canceled,” Toombs said, speaking on the phone as he picketed in the rain in San Diego on Monday.
