Labor Council Meets with President Eanes, General Membership Meeting, and more.
EBoard Meeting on Thursday, May Day LA Action, Course cuts & restoration
On Monday, April 14, 2024, new campus President Eanes met with the Cal State LA Labor Council to discuss health and safety concerns from faculty and staff. This is the first meeting of its kind on this campus. The Labor Council is a council of unions representing campus workers, including faculty, administrative coordinators, tech workers, electricians, maintenance workers, custodial and grounds workers, nurses, teaching and graduate assistants, and more through their respective bargaining units - CFA, CSUEU, Teamsters, and UAW. From the President’s office, the President, President’s Chief of Staff Rojas, interim Provost Bippus, interim Vice President and CFO King, AVP of Faculty Affairs Heise and AVP of HR Varela were in attendance.
REPORT BACK
The meeting began with a statement of purpose for the gathering and breaking down the facts versus fiction on campus regarding King Hall. Then representatives of the King Hall Kills Coalition provided a fact-based presentation with details about the King Hall replacement project collected from campus resources and the Chancellor’s Office.
Important points were raised, and asked of the administration to answer:
Where has the money gone? The $89 million is deferred maintenance, meaning repairs that administration have delayed, or rescheduled rather than address. President Covino requested another $107 million from the CSU Chancellor’s Office to begin construction of a new King Hall, but CFO and interim Vice President Queen King suggests that funding never actually materialized.
Health & safety concerns: The Council highlighted the issues are not just asbestos, but mold, falling tiles, torn walls, flooding and other issues impacting the health & safety of students, staff and faculty.
Lack of transparency and communication: To date, the administration has not communicated properly to faculty or staff who have been impacted on next steps, timelines, or resources and support for faculty and staff who are relocated.
Options for remote work.
Shared governance with the Labor Council on the campus’ task forces for future planning including the strategic and master plans.
THE PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE
The meeting began with an acknowledgement of the President’s arrival and short window of time for action, and shared the growing frustration for the negligence shown by the previous administrations. The President accepted the acknowledgement and appreciated the feedback. She made commitments towards improved communication and meetings with union leadership. She acknowledges the need for action in King Hall, and committed to advocate for the needs of the campus, but will still need to remain aware of other factors, like enrollment and budget constraints. She is working on a strategic plan and a new master plan for the campus, and hopes by January 2025 (with a new cabinet) to have a better position on the future of King Hall.
We will be meeting with the President to follow-up on the questions posed and for clarity on next steps.
The next CFA-LA Executive Board Meeting
The regular executive board (EBoard) meeting will be held on Thursday, 4/25/2024 virtually, from 3:15 to 5 PM. CFA-LA members are welcome to join. Zoom link is here: https://calfac.zoom.us/j/92293148395?pwd=bjBzLzhMWjl3c3BTZHFYR2R6RVdndz09
General Membership Meeting
The EBoard is organizing the next General Membership Meeting for Friday, May 3rd, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. This meeting is in a hybrid format. We will be meeting at Salazar Hall Room 163, with a virtual option. ASL interpretation will be provided. For those participating in-person, a light lunch will be provided.
Reversed course cuts?
CFA has submitted a request for information to the university to request details about course cuts, budget, and enrollment data since 2019. While the request was lengthy, we have begun to receive some information requested, including projected and actual enrollment details (below). At an Academic Senate meeting in March 2024, interim Provost Bippus stated there would be rollbacks to course cuts and plans to address the pay-first rule for student registration. Cal State LA is one the only, or only, CSU campus to require students to pay before enrolling in classes. However, the campus administration has yet to provide any written directives on either matter.
We are aware that most, or all courses, have been reinstated in various departments, but not all. The departments most impacted were in the Colleges of Arts & Letters and Natural and Social Sciences. Have your courses been reinstated? Please contact cfa_la@calfac.org to provide information about the cuts you may be experiencing.
May Day is International Workers’ Day
Join academic workers as we unite with Los Angeles County workers on May Day, Wednesday, May 1st. We will meet at the corner of Sunset & Gower in Hollywood at 2PM and marching to Hollywood & Highland. We will have a CFA contingent meeting at 2PM near the metro train station.
Wear your CFA shirt, hat, comfortable shoes, sunscreen and anything you may need to stay comfortable. Water and snacks will be available onsite.