CSU Staff Vote on $3,500 Bonus and New Pay Scale

California State University employees began voting on Tuesday to decide if they will accept a new contract with their union. The agreement, reached over the weekend, would provide immediate financial changes for roughly 15,000 staff members. If the union members approve the deal, the Board of Trustees will formally sign it at their next meeting.

The most immediate change for workers will be a bonus check of approximately $3,500. Catherine Hutchinson, the president of the CSU Employees Union, said these checks could arrive by December. The union represents a wide range of non-faculty workers, including administrators, janitors, and other support staff. Beyond the one-time bonus, the contract includes standard pay raises.

A key component of the deal is the full implementation of a salary step scale. This system adjusts pay based on job grade and years of service. Hutchinson argued that the immediate financial gains justified signing the tentative agreement now. "The amount of money that we're receiving this year and the correction of our step placements and eligible employees getting put properly on steps, it was worth it to sign a TA [tentative agreement] now," she said.

University officials expressed satisfaction with the outcome. A CSU spokesperson stated that the agreement completes the implementation of the negotiated salary step system. The contract places employees on their target salary steps retroactive to July 1, 2026. The system views this as providing meaningful compensation improvements for its workforce.

Bethany Price, who presides over the union chapter at Cal State Long Beach, said the new pay structure will provide her with a financial boost. She has held her current position for more than 20 years. Under the new rules, her salary would move to the end range of her position. "I've been in the same position for over 20 years and seen movement in my salary only in those times when the union negotiated salary increases," Price said.

Despite the personal financial gain, Price plans to vote against ratifying the agreement. Her primary concern is the continued use of temporary contracts by university management. Many staff at Cal State Long Beach, including administrative coordinators, work full-time hours but hold temporary contracts. This status allows management to cut their employment or fail to renew their contracts without providing a specific reason.

Hutchinson acknowledged that the new contract maintains the existing rule allowing the university to employ someone on a temporary contract for four years. She noted that some campuses, specifically Cal State Long Beach, have abused this rule. Management has reportedly ended service for 11 months due to funding issues, then rehired the same employees a few months later. This break in service resets the clock on their temporary status.

To address this issue, the new deal creates a working group composed of CSU and union representatives. This group will focus on temporary employment practices. However, Price remains skeptical because a similar committee was formed three years ago with no resulting changes. She described herself as "spicy" about the new deal given that history. "Instead what we've seen on this campus is an increase in the abuse," she said.

Price said she trusts her bargaining team to negotiate the best possible terms at this moment. However, she does not believe the agreement fully serves her specific campus. The new contract, if ratified, will remain in effect through 2029.