San José State skilled trades workers from Teamster Local 2010 went on an unfair labor practice strike across campus on Tuesday.
Unit 6 Teamster Local 2010 represents 1,100 skilled trades workers at the California State University, including plumbers, electricians, elevator mechanics, HVAC technicians and other trade workers, according to its website.
Jason Rabinowitz, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010, said he participated in two other CSU strikes in the Bay Area before arriving at SJSU.
“Our unions are standing together all across the state,” Rabinowitz said. “There are 22 CSU campuses that Teamsters has shut down ... we are shutting down the streets, we are shutting down construction sites and we are turning around the trucks.”
Unit 6 is requesting a general salary increase that would ensure workers receive a 7% increase in salary during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, followed by an increase of 5% for the next two years, according to a bargaining contract proposed by Teamsters Local 2010 in September.
Teamsters also demanded a step progression that would move an employee’s current salary step to higher salary steps depending on their time of service at a CSU, according to the same source.
A step increase is a periodic increase in an employee’s rate of pay from one step of the grade of a person’s position to the next higher step of that grade, according to the Office of Personnel Management website.
The implementation of a step progression would benefit long-term employees who currently receive no additional benefits than incoming hires, according to the same contract.
Workers began striking early Tuesday morning near the North garage where almost half a hundred workers marched with picket signs across campus.
Teamsters Local 350, which represents workers in the solid waste and recycling industry, as well as California Faculty Association Union members, showed their support by marching with Teamsters Local 2010.
“Sisters and brothers, we are showing our strength, we are showing our power and we are showing them something the CSU has never seen before,” Rabinowitz said. “If we look back at the history of the CSU, we have never seen a statewide strike like we have done today.”
Trade workers marched several times around campus and through Seventh Street picketing and chanting their long-standing demands for improved wages and step increases.
Aaron Flores, a steward of Teamsters Local 2010 at SJSU in Unit 6, a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic said an employee could be declined a step raise because of a bad review.
“That’s the language that we don’t want in the contract,” Flores said.
Flores said students and faculty can expect trade workers not to report to work on campus.
He said this includes not responding to complaints about heating issues in classrooms or offices, water leaks, deliveries and other skilled trade issues on campus.
“The California State University system is the only state employer that doesn’t give steps to their employees,” Flores said. “The only way you can get moved up in pay is if you put in for an in-range progression, which management has control of denying you.”
He said by offering paperwork that complies with the labor strike goals, any union drivers who stand with or are a part of the Teamsters union do not have to deliver their packages.
Trevor Florez, information technology and equipment specialist, said he has worked at SJSU for five years and is a part of the California State University Employees Union.
The California State University Employees Union is an organization that represents 16,000 CSU support staff covering information technology, healthcare, campus operations and more, according to its website.
Florez said he planned on striking in solidarity with SJSU skilled trades workers hoping that it would build unity and community amongst the workforce while bettering their contracts.
“Hopefully (Teamsters workers) support us and we support them,” Florez said. “I don’t think there’s anything that heavily differs, but I demand more pay from the CSU.”
Florez said his projected outcomes from the strike include long-standing solidarity amongst workers in addition to better benefits for all skilled workers and the CSU staff.
“For us, we’re going to stay out of campus, meaning we will not be supporting the work system here,” he said. “We’re basically vetoing our work for the day.”
Bob Filice, an HVAC facility control specialist, said he has been working for the CSU for 21 years.
Filice said he is striking to bring attention to the lack of trade workers on campus.
He said retired employees are not being replaced and the lack of tradesmen is making it hard for campus trade workers to do their job.
“We have an extreme skeleton crew trying to take care of these buildings,” Filice said. “It’s like you have too many customers coming into your restaurant, but you’re not hiring any new waitresses and waiters ... and not putting in more tables.”
