By Daniel Tedford
I am not one for rumors, but the word on the street (or in this
newspaper) is our faculty is thinking about striking.
The negotiations between the California Faculty Association and
the CSU aren’t going well – and by not going well I mean it’s far
beyond the stern conversations and constant finger shaking and has
progressed to a near passionate hatred – and neither side is ready
to give on the most important issues.
The last resort, and a powerful one at that, is the CFA’s
ability to walk out, which functions as a big “In yo’ face!” to the
CSU. But will this be effective?
I am not graduating in June and at this point my graduation date
is looking further than that date with Keira Knightley I had
planned as communication teachers dwindle down (I think we have
about three now; my Reporting 3 class is leaning towards allowing
Billy Bronco to take the reins next quarter).
But there are those planning a June celebration (or a
realization in the fashion of “The Matrix”) into the real word.
Others are just starting to complain about tuition and fees. For
both a strike could affect them considerably.
I think the CSU sees this as an advantage. They’d be wrong.
Both sides are weary of student opinions – the CFA has
championed helping to lower student fees while the CSU has
purchased ads in student newspapers in the name of their cause.
For the CFA, their greatest ally would be a united student body
that supported their efforts.
Yet, it seems the student body is unaware or lacks cohesiveness
in showing its support for the CFA.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had some sort of associated union or
organization run by students that represented students and backed
whatever beliefs we had or what was best for us? If only such a
group existed and did that job. I would be very appreciative of
those individuals.
The question is, what could unite the student body for the
CFA?
A strike.
The CFA is a bit weary of what a strike could do to their
relationship with students. We could gripe about graduation or
workload and the CFA could lose an ally.
The CFA shouldn’t be worried though. Adolescents love a good
fight, especially one that has grown into immature-ish proportions,
and if they are paying for it (and students will probably pay one
way or another) there might as well be some blood drawn, even if
some is our own.
CFA if you want to strike, go all the way. Don’t strike like
most of us men treat our girlfriends, emotionally attached but
still shaky with the ring. Students will think better of you for
it. If you want something to happen, you can’t slightly apply
pressure. You need to put your foe in a vice.
Remember there is nothing more important to students than the
opportunity to not be one for a day or two. Students don’t care
about financial aspects of these negotiations or the possible
misuse of CSU money by administrators; what could really earn
respect for teachers from students would be one simple sentence,
“Due to our union strike, there will not be class this week.”
Students Follow the CFA’s Lead
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