The Teamsters Local 2010, which represents 1,100 electricians, plumbers, carpenters, facilities workers, and other trades workers across the 22 California State University School System and the CSU Chancellor’s Office are set to strike for four days beginning on Feb. 17 and continuing through Feb. 20 after the CSU failed to fund contractually agreed to step raises in July 2025. 

This strike comes after several months of what the union has categorized as “bad-faith negotiations” with the CSU, two separate unfair labor practice filings by the union with the California Public Employment Relations Board and a strike authorization vote with 94% approval in December 2025.

This contract dispute originated after the CSU did not get its full funding for fiscal year 2025-2026 in June 2025 and said that because of the 3% funding gap they could not pay for the step raises due on July 1 of last year and that negotiations had to be reopened. 

“Teamsters Local 2010 rejects CSU’s legal trickery aimed at cheating workers out of promised raises while pocketing budgeted funds,” the union said in a July letter to CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia. 

However, the funding gap was given to the CSU in the form of a $144 million one-time loan that would fill that hole, but would need full repayment by the end of this fiscal year 2025-2026. The CSU said in a budget update late last year when they took the loan that it would be used as a one-time pay bonus for all system employees. 

“The California State University is bargaining in good faith with Teamsters Local 2010 and remains committed to continuing negotiations in an effort to reach a mutually acceptable agreement,” the CSU Chancellor’s Office said in a statement. “While we hope a strike can be avoided, we respect employees’ rights under the law.” 

This is not the first time the Teamsters Local 2010 have led strikes over this issue. In late 2023 leading up to their current contract union members pushing for these step pay increases for members, they led multiple strikes before getting the CSU to include these increases in their current bargaining agreement. 

“Before our current contract, CSU denied workers regular step increases for 28 years, leaving many workers stuck near the bottom of their pay ranges after decades of service,” one pamphlet from Teamsters Local 2010 said. “CSU can more than afford to pay our workers what’s owed.” 

The dispute over the existence of funding for the step raises comes at the same time as the CSU Board of Trustees approved continued bonuses for school presidents in November 2025, according to previous University Times reporting. Executive pay was expanded in the latest round of increases at the latest Board of Trustees meeting in January. 

Additionally, the first of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2026-2027 budget proposals for the CSU included an additional $365.7 million “in new, ongoing funding,”  in contrast to the last several years, where steep cuts were predicted. However, this is an early proposal by the state and could change before the final budget passes later this year.  

“For reference, by CSU’s own estimate of the annual cost, our July raises would be just 1% of this overall increase,” Teamsters Local 2010 said in a statement following the release of Newsom’s first budget plan. “Our Union again demands that CSU abide by our legal contract and the law and pay the raises we are owed. The Governor’s proposal makes clear that the CSU has no excuse to continue denying our raises.”

Both labor charges alleging “bad-faith negotiations” and “anti-union tactics” by the CSU remain unresolved as of the publication of this story, according to the PERB database and case records. 

These contractual disputes are not unique to the Teamsters Local 2010, as the University Times has previously reported that the Cal State Employees Union members were also set to receive similar salary step increases in October, but did not. The bargaining and contract negotiations between the CSUEU and the university system are ongoing as of late January. 

The Teamsters are “coordinating closely with the other CSU unions, which are facing similar efforts by CSU to deny contractual raises,” a July letter from the Teamsters Local 2010 said. 

While not legally allowed to go on strike in conjunction with the Teamster Local 2010, the California Faculty Association stands in solidarity with the planned strike and urged members to join the picket lines “even for short times” to show their support. 

“CFA supports this strike because we value the Teamsters’ work, and we also face the same union-busting CSU management. The Teamsters, CFA, and all of our union siblings are stronger together when we unite. Their fight is our fight,” Preeti Sharma, the CFA Associate Vice President and CSU Long Beach Professor said in a statement on the CFA website.  

In a January letter from the Teamsters Local 2010 to campuses across the CSU calling for the strike they said that the CFA, CSUEU, the Academic Professional of California, the Academic Student Employees and the Statewide University Police Association all pledged their support for the strike and support the teamsters efforts. 

During the Unfair Labor Practices strike, the union urged the public to avoid the campus warning that basic facilities upkeep, maintenance and key access to buildings may not be maintained for those four days in all on-campus facilities at Cal State LA, according to a pamphlet distributed by the Teamsters 2010 and other on-campus unions. 

Cal State LA s is expected to stay open and fully operational for the entirety of the strike, according to Cal State LA Spokesperson Erik Hollins. 

“Cal State LA and the Cal State LA Downtown campuses will remain open, and classes will continue as scheduled during any strike activity,” Hollins said in a statement. “At this time, the university does not anticipate disruptions to student services.” 

The strike also is sanctioned by the California Labor Federation and Teamsters Joint Councils 7 and 42 and as a result could lead to extended pauses or the “turning away” of deliveries of linens, freight, packages, mail, uniform services and the shutting down of construction “performed by unionized building trades workers.”  

“The 1,100 Skilled Trades Teamsters have worked hard and sacrificed to keep the CSU running through the pandemic and beyond, yet CSU has refused to honor step increases and their contractual obligations,” another pamphlet from the Teamsters 2010, obtained by the University Times said.