PREVIOUSLY

• Teamsters Ready to Strike at Cal Poly Humboldt in Two Weeks

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Members of the Cal Poly Humboldt Teamsters union started striking today over a CSU-wide salary dispute.

The CPH chapter of the Teamsters 2010 has some three dozen members, skilled laborers responsible for maintaining and repairing much of the campus’ infrastructure. About 1,100 other California State University employees are striking this week across the state. They were promised three annual 5% salary raises and salary step increases in 2024 by CSU, but the university didn’t increase the laborer’s salaries in July 2025, citing a contractual clause that allows the university to ignore issuing the promised raises if California’s legislature didn’t sufficiently fund CSU. 

CSU wound up about $144 million short of full funding, but the state offered CSU a short-term, interest-free $144 million loan to help bridge the gap. CSU says accepting the loan doesn’t meet their definition of being fully funded, and offered a one-time bonus instead, equivalent to 3% of each employee’s salary.

Union members say that’s not good enough. CPH locksmith and union steward Phillip Bradley arrived at campus at 4:45 this morning during a hailstorm to picket outside the College Creek Marketplace with other strikers, and he told the Outpost that the main outcome they want from this strike is simply the salary increases they were promised. 

“We’re not asking for anything extra-special,” Bradley said. “We agreed to that contract. We want to keep our word. We’d love it if the CSU would keep theirs.”

“We just want what we were promised,” striking painter Jeff Robinson told the Outpost. “We signed a deal. They call us when they need us. There’s a lot of mechanics and electricians on odd hours, and when things happen they give us a call, give us praise for that, but whenever it comes time for money, we don’t get anything.”

The CSU Board of Trustees also recently removed a cap on their top administrator’s salaries, allowing many of them to increase their base pay to over $500,000 a year. (CPH interim president Michael Spagna earned about $470,000 last year, including benefits.) Union members say that casts doubt on their claim to be underfunded. 

Strikers won’t be working on campus until Feb. 21. Bradley said they attempted to leave campus in good shape before they left, but a water leak in the kinesiology building forced a non-union laborer to cross the picket line early in the morning. Many of the construction workers completing the new engineering building are union members and won’t work this week, but a few aren’t and are still working. 

“Causing an inconvenience for our students is the last thing we want, because our whole purpose is to make this a great environment to learn and grow and live,” Bradley said. “…But part of being a student is becoming more politically aware.”

The Teamsters feel very supported by the community, Bradley said. A few members of other unions have joined them on the picket line, as have a few other residents. He encouraged people to sign a petition backing the union on their website, and also said they had too many donuts and could use some help eating them. 

Donuts aside, everyone on the picket line is eager to get a raise and end the strike.

“That raise means security,” Jefferson said. “I’ve been a painter most of my life, and it feels like we’re always on the back end of catching things. You get caught up — and then things cost more.” 

“Lastly,” he continued, “The administration and presidents of the CSU get massive raises. There’s never an issue with budget when it’s time for them to make money.”