Sonoma State Strikers Tough Out Storms: Report

ROHNERT PARK-COTATI, CA — Skilled trade workers at Sonoma State University picketed through rain and hail for a second consecutive day Wednesday as part of a four-day strike across the California State University system organized by Teamsters Local 2010, the Press Democrat reported.

The strike, which began Tuesday and is scheduled to run through Friday, marks an escalation in a contract dispute over whether the university system must honor previously negotiated raises tied to state funding levels. About 30 workers at the campus in Rohnert Park joined roughly 1,100 skilled trade employees statewide participating in the job action, according to the Press Democrat.

At the center of the dispute is a disagreement over how to interpret a salary contingency clause in the union’s contract. The raises were linked to the CSU receiving full funding from the state, but both sides differ on whether recent budget adjustments and a one-time state loan satisfy that requirement—an issue with implications for campus operations and labor relations across the 23-campus system, the Press Democrat reported.

Union leaders argue that despite steep proposed budget cuts last year, most funding for CSU was ultimately preserved, and an interest-free state loan bridged the remaining gap—meaning the system should follow through on agreed raises for electricians, plumbers, mechanics and carpenters. CSU officials, citing financial challenges at several campuses including Sonoma State, counter that the one-time loan must be repaid and does not meet the ongoing funding threshold required to trigger the salary increases, the Press Democrat reported.

Union and CSU representatives are continuing negotiations, saying that workers are uncertain what will happen if no agreement is reached by the strike’s scheduled end Friday, but morale remains steady, according to the Press Democrat.