CSU-East Bay teachers hold one-day walk out (in response to fee hikes)

[alp227]

Source: SF Chronicle

They pitched no tents. They were struck by no police batons.

But the hundreds of chanting, dancing, drum-pounding California State University faculty members who converged on CSU's Hayward campus today to demand promised raises did do a "mike check," the Occupy Wall Street movement's signature method of addressing large crowds without a microphone.

"Mike check!" shouted a voice from within the crowd at Cal State East Bay. "When faculty are forced to leave the CSU for better pay and working conditions, the value of your degree is on the line!"

Faculty, joined by students and some state lawmakers, repeated his words in the now familiar call-and-response fashion of Occupy protesters.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/17/BAVI1M0R07.DTL

[mike_c]

1. just got back from the LONG drive up from CSU East Bay....

We closed the campus down. The parking lots, normally filled with thousands of cars at midday, were utterly empty. At one point, about noon, I looked up from the picket line on Carlos Bee drive to see a sea of red shirts DANCING down the road, filling a four lane highway. Some crazy dance prof had organized a faculty flash mob and CHOREOGRAPHED it. What started as a strike became a celebration.

Thanks to all my brothers and sisters in the California Faculty Association for their solidarity and support, and thanks especially to the faculty at CSU East Bay and Dominguez Hills who did the heavy lifting to organize their campuses and make this happen.

I'm exhausted. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a camera and most of the media shots I've seen were taken in the early morning hours, before daylight or just after sun rise, before the large contingents from other campuses began to arrive. The CFA web site at www.calfac.org will undoubtedly have some good pics up in an day or so after everyone gets some well deserved rest.

Solidarity!

[annm4peace]

2. Very Glad and proud of you

Love it. I have cousins who are Alumni, and many relatives including my parents are teachers so I thank you

[EFerrari]

3. That's a long assed drive!

Thanks so much for making it.

[mike_c]

4. we drove down last night to be on the picket line by 6:00 AM....

Spent the night in Hayward. Then left the campus about 1:00 PM to drive back up to Arcata. It was awesome. I was really worried we might not have the numbers to pull it off, but we did it. I haven't heard anything from Dominguez Hills yet-- they had the tougher job in some ways because that campus has so many entrances, but on the other hand, they also have all the big SoCal campuses to supply supporters.

I'm so jazzed and energized that even the long drive and the rain couldn't dampen my mood. We rocked today.

[Lionel Mandrake]

5. CSU-Dominguez Hills faculty also walked out yesterday.

Cal State University faculty strike to protest salary dispute

The staffers say spending decisions made by officials threaten the quality of education at the university's 23 campuses.

By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times
November 18, 2011

Hundreds of California State University faculty members stayed out of class Thursday to protest a salary dispute and spending decisions that they say threaten the quality of education at the university's 23 campuses.

The California Faculty Assn., which represents 23,000 professors, lecturers, librarians and others, authorized the one-day strike at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State East Bay but said the actions could spread to other campuses if Chancellor Charles B. Reed refuses their compromise proposals. It is the first strike since the union was formed in 1983.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-calstate-strike-20111118,0,7819537.story

Faculty salaries have gone up only 7% while top administrators' pay went up 70% in several years. The faculty are overworked, while more and more administrators make life miserable for everyone else in the CSU system.

There are 23 campuses in the CSU system. So far, only two campuses have had strikes, but there will probably be more.

[Lionel Mandrake]

6. Here's another article about Dominguez Hills

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_19357822