The California State University (CSU) and the CSU Employees Union (CSUEU) have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract that would increase salaries annually over the next three years and offer one-time bonuses among other negotiated deals, CSU officials announced Friday.
Representing over 16,000 CSU employees, the CSUEU is the university’s largest staff union. Workers hold positions ranging from registered nurses to custodians, police dispatchers and accountants, officials stated.
“We value all of these contributions, from daily interactions with students to the behind-the-scenes work that goes into keeping campuses operating,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White in a statement. “Recruiting and retaining employees of the highest caliber are vital to our efforts to improve student achievement through Graduation Initiative 2025, so it is imperative that the CSU provide appropriate compensation.”
The three-year collective bargaining agreement will run through June 30, 2020. Under that agreement, these employees will receive three percent general salary increases, beginning retroactively on July 1, 2017 and continuing July 1, 2018 and July 1, 2019.
All CSUEU-represented employees will receive a three percent increase initially, confirmed CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp. If they still earn below $2,600 per month, their salary will be increased to $2,600 per month, he added. That would make $2,600 (or $31,200 annually) the lowest beginning salary for any CSU position and make the minimum range for a new hire beginning at $2,600 per month.
Employees will also receive one-time “employee recognition” bonuses once the successor agreement is ratified by the CSU Board of Trustees during their January meeting in Long Beach. For full-time employees, the bonuses will be $650, while employees working less than full-time positions will receive a pro-rated bonus to the time-base of their appointment. For example, if they work half time, their one-time bonus would be pro-rated to $325, or if they work three-quarters time, it would be $487.50, Uhlenkamp explained.
In addition, effective July 1, 2018, new CSU employees represented by the union will receive full health benefits upon retiring at age 52 with at least 10 years of service credit. Currently, employees may retire and receive full benefits after five years of service credit, officials stated.
Click here to review the full tentative agreement.