CSUEU Press Release On Furlough Agreement

CSUEU has issued a press release on the conceptual agreement on furloughs:

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CSUEU Announces Conceptual Agreement on Furlough Days

Sacramento, Calif. (July 7, 2009) – The California State University Employees Union, representing some 16,000 staff employees in the California State University system, announced today that it has reached a conceptual agreement with the CSU for 24 furlough days during the period of August 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010.

Subject to member ratification, this tentative agreement provides workload protections and significant layoff mitigation.

The CSUEU bargaining team believes this agreement addresses the concerns presented to us by our members in polls and surveys over the last few weeks, said CSUEU President Pat Gantt. We think this is the best solution – far better than layoffs or other draconian moves—to address the CSU's projected $584 million budget deficit for 2009-10, given that some 85 percent of the CSU budget goes to employee salaries and benefits.

Although the state budget has not been finalized, the Governor's budget proposal would mean a $584 million cut to the CSU's general fund support for 2009-10. Furloughs by all employees would reduce the CSU's salary expenditures by approximately $275 million, as well as preserve 22,000 course sections or 15 percent of all classes for students for the academic year.

Within the next few days, the union will begin the process of ratification; CSUEU members will have the opportunity to vote on the tentative agreement at their chapters.

A furlough is a mandated period of time off without pay. Furloughs differ from salary reductions and pay cuts in that they are temporary and do not affect employment status, or health benefit eligibility or pay rate for retirement benefits. Employees are required not to work on furlough days.

About CSUEU

Incorporated in 2005 after serving its members as a division of the California State Employees Association for more than 70 years, the California State University Employees Union, www.csueu.org, has built up a rich record of achievements on behalf of the 16,000 employees it represents. They comprise classified staff members at the California State University's 23 campuses, as well as the Office of the Chancellor, encompassing such diverse job categories as registered nurses, custodians, groundsworkers, library assistants, graphic specialists, information technology consultants and performing arts technician

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Links

• Conceptual Agreement Reached on Furloughs (Unit 9 News)
• Press Release: CSUEU Announces Conceptual Agreement on Furlough Days (CSUEU)
• News stories covering furloughs and CSU budget issues:
  • One CSU union OKs furloughs (Sacramento Business Journal)
  • Cal State pushes proposals to close budget hole (San Francisco Chronicle)
  • CSU trustees to discuss $584 million deficit (San Francisco Chronicle)
  • More furloughs asked of universities (Modesto Bee)
  • Furloughs, tuition hikes considered at CSU schools (Vallejo Times Herald)
  • Do local school execs earn too much? (Granite Bay Press-Tribune) – includes Sacramento State University President Alexander Gonzales in its recounting of high-paid school officials