CSU Trustees Expected To Approve Executive Pay Raises

LONG BEACH (CBS) — Protests are taking place at Cal State Long Beach, where CSU trustees are expected to approve 10 percent raises for the system's 23 university presidents.

Critics, including the California Faculty Association, say the raises aren't appropriate when teachers and faculty haven't received raises in three years and students are being subjected to tuition hikes.

Trustees, however, say the raises are necessary for the system to remain competitive.

They are now looking to pull money from non-profit auxiliary groups for the presidents, who make between $250,000 to $350,000 a year and also receive free housing or a housing stipend.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou talked to CFA Long Beach chapter president Dr. Teri Yamada, who says teachers are growing increasingly frustrated after 22 months of negotiations.

"We were asking for a very modest one percent increase," Yamada said. "We thought that was extremely reasonable, especially considering how much they've been increasing the salaries of presidents and upper-level administrators."

The CFA announced last week that the 24,000 CSU employees it represents have voted to authorize a strike.

The union, which has been negotiating contracts with CSU leaders for 22 months, will now decide whether to implement two-day rolling strikes on all 23 CSU campuses.

The strikes would be the largest among faculty in the history of the United States.