Important Chapter Meeting Noon 7/1 about budget cuts and furloughs

Dear CSUS faculty,

As you have no doubt heard, the CSU system's share of the latest round of budget cuts is $585M. The Chancellor's Office has proposed faculty and staff furloughs for two days per month as a way to offset about 50% of this budget cut. The proposal is only in the vaguest of terms: two Fridays per month, which translates to a 10.75% temporary reduction in pay for the typical 9-month faculty member. The alternative, according to the Chancellor's Office, are massive layoffs, perhaps as much as 9,000 faculty across the system. The Chancellor's Office cannot implement a furlough program without the CFA member's approval, but they can initiate the layoff procedure in accordance with the guidelines laid out in our Contract.

The Chancellor's Office has asked the various CSU labor unions, including the CFA, to approve this cost-saving measure, and some of the staff unions voted to approve it this week. The CFA has put off a member-wide vote until more details are disclosed about how such a furlough program would be implemented. There are literally hundreds of questions, from workload issues (will 10% less scholarship be required for promotion?), to class scheduling issues (what happens to labs that meet on Friday?), to questions about FERP and part-time faculty that raise real concerns about benefits, and of course where will the other 50% of the budget cuts ($300M) will come from. Without some clear answers to some of these questions, a system wide vote by faculty on the question of furloughs will be difficult, to say the least. CSUS CFA leadership met with President Gonzalez last week to ask that these questions be addressed as quickly as possible. Some answers may be forthcoming from the Chancellor's Office, so please watch your email for the CFA "Headlines" news email bulletin. There is also a very helpful Frequently Asked Questions on furloughs on the CFA website, www.calfac.org (http://www.calfac.org/allpdf/Budget_09_10/FAQ_onfurlough_0616.pdf).

We are calling a chapter wide meeting to discuss this important issue. Though we will not arrive at any decisions collectively, we will present all of the latest information and engage in a discussion about this process and the likelihood of an upcoming statewide vote on the issue. Please join us Wednesday July 1 from Noon until 2pm in Mendocino 1003. CFA statewide President Lillian Taiz will join us. We will have some light refreshments. Please RSVP to cfa@csus.edu. Any questions can be addressed to KWEHR@csus.edu.

Best Regards,

Lila Jacobs, President

Kevin Wehr, Vice-President

CFA CSUS Capitol Chapter