CSU Contract Announcement Planned For Friday

SACRAMENTO - California State University and its faculty union could be close to an agreement in contentious contract talks, potentially averting a five-day strike scheduled for later this month.

The university and the California Faculty Association -- which represents 26,000 professors, librarians, counselors and coaches on the system's 23 campuses -- both said they will make a joint announcement on Friday that they hope will be a settlement.

Until then, both sides have declared a media blackout during which they will not discuss the status of the contract negotiations.

The union announced in February that its members would strike on April 13, 14, 15, 18 and 19.

CFA officials said they were seeking a 5-percent raise for its members but the university would only offer a 2 percent raise.

The university vowed its campuses would stay open in the event of a strike.

Neither union nor university officials have set a specific time or location for Friday's announcement, only saying that it would be in Sacramento.

-By Bay City News Service, image via Patch archives