Teachers and part of the staff of the University of California (California state university, CSU) began a weekly strike demanding to increase salaries.
The University of University of University employees – the Association of Teachers of California (California Faculty Association, CFA) – includes about 30 thousand people.
The University has 23 campuses throughout the state. CSU is considered the largest educational institution in the USA.
Among the requirements of the striking – the provision of a longer paid maternity leave and childbirth.
The Union states that the university has money on “open backup accounts”, and it can afford to increase wages at the expense of excess operating cash and $ 766 million, which CSU has in reserves for emergency situations.
According to the vice -rector of the University of Leora Friedman, these reserve funds cannot be used to increase wages, since they are intended for periods of economic uncertainty or emergency situations, including forest fires or earthquakes.