Teamster Local 2010 Skilled Trades workers are amidst day two of a four-day unfair labor practice strike across all California State University campuses, demanding promised raises.

At Fresno State, trade workers are picketing all day Wednesday through rain and shine at entrances throughout campus.

“I chose to come out this early and be here in a picket to support my coworkers, to support all the trades across all the campuses,” said Arlan Hartmann, an automotive equipment and maintenance mechanic. “I hope it brings more attention to what’s going on… In a perfect world, (CSU) would just honor the contract.”

A five-year contract between CSU and Teamsters promised annual 5% salary increases, contingent on state funding.

However, last summer, the state reduced funding by 3%, about $144 million. In its place, California provided a one-time loan of the same amount to be paid by July 1.

The union believes that the loan leaves CSU fully funded and capable of providing raises. But CSU asserts the loan cannot be used for ongoing salary increases.

“The CSU values its employees and remains committed to fair, competitive pay and benefits for our skilled trades workforce through the collective bargaining process with the Teamsters,” CSU said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that the Teamsters is advancing false claims to justify a strike.”

Fresno State classes and student services will continue as normal and the university does not anticipate the strike will have an impact on academic operations, a spokesperson said.

Trade Workers ‘Keep the Campus Moving’

Trade workers are in a largely unseen role, keeping the campus “moving” behind the scenes.

“What I do specifically is help the plumbers, electricians and carpenters. We keep their equipment going so that they can do their job. They can keep the lights on and the water warm for the for the dorms,” said equipment mechanic Brent Gerken. “Without us, nothing really happens on campus.”

Hartmann, who gets up at 3:30 a.m. every morning to arrive on campus by six, echoed this statement.

“The students would be affected if my job wasn’t here or the jobs of my other coworkers weren’t here,” he said. “If we’re not here to keep them up and going, the students will be out of power.”

Their work spans across every department, deemed essential by CSU during the pandemic. But they remain underpaid, while cost of living increases, according to teamsters.

University of California Skill Trades workers make 23.6% more on average than CSU employees, a union flyer stated.

This work is appreciated by their coworkers, several of whom joined the picket during their breaks, according to Hartmann.

“Teamsters members are at the heart of keeping our campuses operational so that faculty and staff can serve our students,” the California Faculty Association said in a statement. “We must do everything in our power to help them hold the picket line when they are on strike.”

CSU Hikes Student Tuition and Top Brass get Raises

In Fall 2024, CSU began annually increasing student tuition by 6% — a total of 34% across five years.

Fresno State had one of the biggest fee hikes, adjusting for inflation, as fees surged by 56% EdSource reported.

Additionally, CSU trustees approved raises up to 15% for university presidents in November. Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval received a 10% raise that increased his base pay to $523,617.

Before the union’s current contract, trade workers hadn’t received annual raises for nearly 30 years. In 2023, members held multiple strikes to obtain salary increases.

CSU’s recent decisions felt like “a stab in the back” according to Gerken.

“We’re all struggling with inflation, and this would help immensely for a lot of us,” he said.