By California State University student assistants are negotiating a contract with the CSU to improve their working conditions.
As of Nov. 1, 2024, the bargaining team has secured:
- Grievance procedure;
- Bereavement leave (2 paid days, 3 unpaid days);
- Standardized evaluation processes;
- Some amount of paid sick time.
The bargaining team is still actively working on finalizing their contract.
After voting to join the California State University Employees Union in February 2024, student assistants began meeting with CSU management to bargain for their first contract.
The CSUEU introduced the Unit 15 Sunshine Proposal to the CSU back in 2024. In the proposal, student workers demanded:
- Higher wages that reflect their work value and the cost of living;
- An end to unpaid labor and that they be paid every hour they work;
- Sick and holiday pay;
- A reduction or elimination of parking fees;
- For the CSU to follow labor protections including paid training hours overtime and paid travel time.
The CSUEU has a bargaining team made up of nine student assistants and a lead negotiator who meets with CSU management.
Catherine Hutchinson, president of the CSUEU, said that for some time CSU began using students to replace employees when they realized it was cheaper than replacing faculty.
Hutchinson, a former student assistant, said nothing has changed in the past 20 years.
“Students realized that they were sitting next to an employee and doing the same job, but having way less benefits and income,” Hutchinson said. “[The students] reached out to us because they realized they were being exploited by the CSU.”
Hutchinson said they have also worked to prevent unfair discipline of workers, as student workers have been fired for following a rule they were told to follow, without a process for students to be able to argue their case.
According to the CSU student employment page, students are permitted to work 20 hours a week while courses are in session and 40 hours a week during recess periods.
Students are not allowed to work overtime, and the Chancellor’s office is required to give permission for hours beyond those permitted.
Hutchinson said the most challenging part of the bargaining has been getting the CSU to agree on pay.
Student workers are being paid the state minimum instead of the minimum in their cities or counties. As of January 2025, the minimum wage in California is $16.50.
Hutchinson said the reason for CSU being hard on pay, even for staff, is because they do not manage their budget well.
“[CSU] don’t advocate properly for money from the state. The union will fight hard to get the CSU fully funded and when we look, the CSU is not standing there all the time with us. They just take what the state gives them,” Hutchinson said.
Aleyah Thomas-Bowman, a sophomore majoring in psychology, is also a CSUEU student organizer on campus.
Thomas-Bowman was a student assistant for the Office of the Dean at the College of Business until May 2024.
She said during her time as a student assistant, she was getting paid $16 an hour and during the spring of last year, her hours were cut to eight hours a week.
“More than 50% of the time, while working for the office of the dean, I found myself wanting to ask for more. For example, I remember being really sick and I went into the office because I needed that money,” Thomas-Bowman said.
As a CSUEU student organizer on campus, Thomas-Bowman helps student assistants who may run into issues with their employer; she is able to connect students with higher ups in the union.
Kaily Brooks is a sophomore at San Diego State University, and is currently on the bargaining team for student assistants.
Back in 2023 when Brooks was a freshman, she was working at a 24-hour desk at one of the SDSU freshman dorm buildings.
She said a red flag she noticed was the overnight pay not being comparable for the task assigned. While the minimum wage in the City of San Diego is $17.25, Brooks is only making the state minimum wage.
“It’s disappointing because minimum wage doesn’t even help us pay our bills, get groceries and gas. We have so many student assistants, especially on our campus that are worried about homelessness, they’re worried about making rent, they’re worried about getting food on their table, gas in their car,” she said.
Brooks said she feels a mix of emotions being able to create change within the CSU.
“I have loved this opportunity to create change not just for me…it’s about creating a better college system for everyone at the CSU,” Brooks said.
