Students working on California State University (CSU) campuses won the right to vote to unionize, setting the stage to create the largest university student union in U.S. history.
Undergraduate and graduate students will be part of the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) like Diana Pérez, a master’s student in history at Cal State in Los Angeles, who voted in favor of the union because as archival workers The library does not have access to receive any employment benefits.
“We students who work at the university are called student assistants, we earn the minimum wage and we do not have benefits such as sick days,” says Diana, who also has another second job caring for people with disabilities to be able to pay for her expenses.
“Having two jobs does not allow me to dedicate myself full time to my studies and it will take me longer to graduate. Sometimes I fall behind in school because I have to focus on my work,” she says.
For these reasons, Diana is in favor of all Cal State University students who work on campus having a union that fights for their rights.
CSU Monterey Bay student Leah Baker, who works in the Information Technology (IT) department, said that with a union for student workers, the university’s promises to them, staff and Californians will be upheld when they have a seat at the table. And as a result, CSU leaders will be more accountable.
Most students who complete their degree work in different departments on their campuses, earning the minimum wage, but they do not have health insurance or the right to sick days.
According to union leaders, the CSU has transferred much of the work done by unionized staff to student workers who earn lower wages, have fewer benefits and are only allowed to work 20 hours per week.
So tired of being underpaid and unappreciated, in April, student assistants filed a petition and collected more than 8,500 signatures calling for a union election.
The California Public Labor Relations Board certified that the students met the requirements to form the largest student union in US history.
“With a successful union election for student workers, the CSUEU will be one of the largest support staff unions at a public university,” said Catherine Hutchinson, president of the CSUEU, which represents 16,000 support staff members who are the operational backbone of CSU, working in information technology, healthcare, office, administrative support, campus operations, grounds, and custodial.
“Together, we will fight for greater investments in higher education, because we believe in CSU’s mission to increase economic and social mobility for all Californians.”
The students were joined in their announcement by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who also serves as an ex-officio member of the CSU Board of Trustees.
“California State University is stronger today because students are rising up to keep the university system true to its mission of opening the doors of higher education and a strong future to all students, regardless of their background,” Thurmond said . “I strongly encourage CSU leaders to respect the state board’s decision and agree to a quick and fair election for their student assistants.”
The student assistants’ organizing campaign comes amid a wave of union organizing led by young leaders who are reshaping and revitalizing the union movement.
As William Herbert, executive director of the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and a professor at Hunter College-City University in New York, told Bloomberg Law: “The wave of unionization among this generation may affect the movement itself.” labor”.
Student assistant Diana said that from Starbucks baristas to Hollywood writers, we have all witnessed the power of workers coming together to fight for what is right.”
“When student assistants and CSUEU workers come together, nothing stops us from creating a responsible and accessible university for all Californians.”
Generation Z, or Americans born after 1997, are not only the most pro-union generation existing today, but their belief in the power of workers uniting surpasses even that of previous generations.