Are classes canceled? Here’s what to know about week-long faculty strike at Fresno State

Fresno State professors and other faculty are set for a week-long strike after negotiations with the California State University system reached an impasse.

The CSU argues the faculty’s demand of a 12% salary increase is too much and would lead to layoffs while the California Faculty Association has said university system officials have walked away from the bargaining table after offering 5%, which has not changed since it was first offered in November.

So Fresno State faculty — which includes professors, librarians and counselors, to name a few — are set to strike the week beginning Monday through Friday along with their counterparts at all of the 23 CSU campuses.

Instruction started Thursday at Fresno State, where a smattering of students who spoke to The Bee said they were aware of the strike even if they weren’t familiar with why it would happen.

Some students, like Amuldeep Bawa, said students and professors were talking about the strike, but Bawa said he did not expect it to be a disruption. The biochemistry major from Fresno said he knew the strike included a demand for more money, but he was unsure about other demands.

Jesus Gutierrez, a junior studying for an agricultural business degree, said he was not sure which of his professors would be in class next week and which would strike.

“I do believe teachers do a lot for their students,” the Dinuba native said. “I don’t know what they get paid, but they definitely deserve to be well paid.”

Here are some answers to common questions about the strike:

Why does the strike end after a week?

The California Faculty Association board of directors decided to strike for a week to demonstrate the faculty’s value to the campus, according to John Beynon, the president of the union’s Fresno chapter.

The campus cannot operate properly for the week without faculty, he said told The Bee on Wednesday.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t have other actions after that,” he said. “We are still without a contract.”

The California Faculty Association, which represents close to 29,000 professors, lecturers, librarians, counselors and coaches, staged strikes at campuses in Pomona, Sacramento and Los Angeles on Dec. 5. A month before that, faculty at Fresno State held a demonstration during the lunch hour.

Will classes continue during the strike?

In a letter sent by email to students, the university told students to check with their individual professors about class because some instructors may continue to work.

The union said faculty members are expected to strike from classes, lab work, research and office hours, which all include doing any of that virtually.

What about picket lines?

The union said faculty members should not go to the Fresno State campus unless they intend to take part in picketing. Beynon said picket lines will be visible at entrances to the campuses, like those on Shaw Avenue, and faculty is expected to be joined by Teamsters for the demonstration.

The university’s letter told students to not be worried about picket lines if they need to enter the campus.

What does the faculty want?

Aside from the raise, which faculty said should account for the cost of living, the union has demanded parental leave for a full semester, an increase to the pay of the lowest paid faculty, manageable workloads, counseling for students with mental health needs, lactation rooms, gender-inclusive restrooms and precautions for faculty who may interact with campus police.

Some of those demands may have already been met at Fresno State, but the strike is across all campuses of the CSU system.

What parts of campus are open?

The university said any students moving in or who are already living in the residence halls should see no disruption to the normal services provided.

The student union, library and other student service centers are set to remain open, including the dining hall.