Spring break 2.0 has been placed on hold after the university administration and faculty union came to a tentative agreement on a pay increase for CSU faculty on the morning of Apr. 8.
Some teachers had already planned their syllabus ahead of time to not create conflict between classwork and the strike. Now that the strike has been postponed, students can continue on their normal school schedule with their teachers.
“I really support the strike,” said senior sociology major Kaliso Mwanza. “I believe there is inequality in the wage structure and that needs to be addressed. As I understand they have not been given a pay raise in a very long period and they are deserving of it.”
Mwanza has work experience in being a teacher’s assistant and said that he notices how much work teacher’s do. “The volume of work that they do is phenomenal,” Mwanza said. “That morale is directly associated to performances and if they do better, we do better as students.”
ASI President Mike Kwon said he was glad that they were able to sit down and talk about it.
“As long as both sides are happy and can come to an agreement, you know, I’m happy to hear about that,” said Kwon. “As long as every student in the CSU is still getting their education and getting the appropriate help as far as advising centers and all that, it’s all good.”
Sophomore business major Angel Espinosa said he supported the strike as well.
“Since I do support what they are doing, and if I was in his position, I would pass to have an increase in pay,” Espinosa said. “I feel that society has taught us that people need to be successful, and they put it in our heads that we need an education, so why not pay those that provide it what they deserve?”
The strike has implemented change for the faculty who wanted to see a raise in their wages.
Instead of the 5 percent raise teachers were originally asking for, they were granted with a 7 percent raise.
In addition to the 7 percent raise, CSU officials and California Faculty Strike leaders agreed on a 3.5 percent raise starting July 1, 2017.
“I feel that society has taught us that people need to be successful, and they put it in our heads that we need an education, so why not pay those that provide it what they deserve?”
“They do deserve extra pay.”
“Well… Only a certain percent of our tuition goes to them, so I don’t know if that affects our tuition. So yeah, I think they should.”
“I mean, I get a pay raise every few hundred hours at my job. I don’t see how teachers could not get a raise after a certain extent.
“I think that teachers are probably some of the lowest paid individuals as it is when it comes to careers.”
The Bakersfield education system is superb. People who graduate from high school here have a tenth grade Education. That’s why when students come to CSUB it takes a lot of initiative for them to to help students catch up and put them at a place were they could compete. Especially, when they leave the Bakersfield area.”
