The California State University Employees Union, CSUEU, delivered a 26-foot-long petition signed by over 4,000 union members to 17 CSU campuses on Nov. 19, just before fall break. The union is calling for campus presidents to improve their student workforce by giving them fair contract negotiations. 

“We are letting campus presidents know that the top leaders of the CSU system are failing its student workforce by not delivering a fair contract,” the Student Workers Union Instagram said. “We want a contract, and we want it now.”

The union represents over 35,000 student workers and career staff, some of whom worked to deliver petitions to campus presidents, according to their website. 

Employee protected by the union include those working in academic and operational roles on CSU campuses. The union’s website states, this includes roles in information technology, healthcare, clerical, administrative and academic support, campus operations, grounds and custodial.

The union has been pushing for policies they said will “lift up workers and working families.” These include living wages, affordable housing, health care and retirement benefits. 

The union visited the following CSU campuses: 

• Sonoma State 
• Chico State
• Fresno State
• San José State 
• Channel Islands
• East Bay
• Cal Poly Humboldt
• Sacramento State 
• San Francisco State
• San Diego State
• San Marcos
• Los Angeles
• Fullerton
• Northridge
• Long Beach
• Cal Poly Pomona
• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

In February, the union ​​made history when it secured a victory in an election to form the largest undergrad student worker union in the country. 

“We know this to be true: Union jobs are better jobs,” the Student Workers Union said. “And we will not let corporations and billionaires weaken workers’ right to organize or form a union.”

Bea Williams can be reached at [email protected].