The Union of Academic Student Workers bargained with the CSU system and they have agreed on the three union requirements. Members of the union will vote on the new contract starting on Oct. 9.
The three main deal points that the student union workers were fighting to include in their new contract were equitable pay increases, paid time off and better education around union resources for union members.
The CSU agreed to all deal points the Student Academic Workers Union wanted included in the new contract. New deal points include:
General Salary Increases: Salary increases of 5% (retroactive to July 1, 2023) for all academic student workers. Another 5% salary increase will take place in July 2024. Academic student workers union members will see a 10.25% pay increase under this new contract over the next 10 months.
Paid Sick Leave: Paid sick leave for student workers. Union members, which include graduate teaching associates and graduate assistants (GTAs & GAs), will have eight hours per month of paid sick leave.
Better Union Organization Resourcing: This will ensure that resources available for student union workers are not only widely available to active union members but they’re aware of the benefits and protections of their rights while on the job.
The Union of Academic Student Workers held a rally on Sept. 21 at San Francisco State University in an effort to have their bargaining terms met in time for their contract renewal on Sept. 30.
On the same day their contract was set to expire, the CSU student workers united and agreed to a tentative agreement with the CSU based on the updated terms of their new contract.
“I like to believe that the rally really helped the Student Academic Workers Union reach the tentative agreement,” said Sean Sliger, a philosophy graduate student at SFSU. “The rally allowed us to show the CSU that the Student Academic Workers Union is serious and united about the petition points to be included in our new contract.”
The student rally was the main drive behind the action seen towards the student academic workers union’s tentative agreement with the CSU. Prior to the rally, contract bargaining has been in progress since August with minimal effect.
Though no direct response has been given from SFSU president Lynn Mahoney as it relates to the tentative agreement, the union says they look forward to working with Mahoney’s office to discuss support for the tentative agreement that will ensure their new deal points are included in their new contract.
“We’re looking forward to meeting with President Mahoney and that our new contract is implemented and enforced at SFSU,” said Francesca Felder, a union bargaining member for the academic student workers.
Once implemented, the new union contract for the student academic workers will be in effect for the next two years.
“It was really exciting to see academic workers come together and push the CSU to make the changes to the working conditions that we deserve,” Felder said.
The new contract is expected to secure the rights of all academic student workers across the 23 CSU campuses.
