Faculty members and budget administrators are fighting over a pay raise.

On Thursday, Oct. 8, a meeting was held in order to attempt to create a salary agreement between both the California Faculty Association (CFA) and CSU Management. This meeting was the second session within the mediation process as these groups continue in their salary negotiations, and the groups failed to come to an agreement.

The next step in this statutory process is “factfinding” where each party will attempt to justify their salary proposals before a mediator. If negotiations continue to fail, the CFA will be attending a Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach, CA on Nov. 17 to signal their readiness to go on strike.

In 2014, small raises were granted for faculty for the first time in seven years in order to help correct salary inequities at CSUSM.

However, the California Faculty Association bargaining team was able to reopen their contract in May 2015, and are now proposing a 5 percent general salary increase and a 2.65 percent service salary increase. University management, however, is offering a 2 percent raise in general salary.

Toni Molle, Director of Public Affairs for the CSU system, said that a 5 percent increase would cost an additional $69 million for that bargaining group, where as a 2 percent increase would allow for other employee units to receive raises as well.

“Our goal continues to be to attract, motivate and retain the most highly qualified individuals to serve the CSU mission and our students,” said Molle.

Dave Bradfield, a member of the CFA’s bargaining team, said the CSU system has recently seen an increased budget.

The CFA’s website (calfac.org) says the 2015-2016 California state budget granted the CSU system an additional $269 million additional dollars.

According to Howard Bunsis who conducted an independent budget analysis in the spring of 2014, pay raises are possible, yet the money is being spent elsewhere.

Molle said that $11 million of the budget increase will be used towards hiring additional tenure track faculty this year.

Dr. Darel Engen, president of the CSUSM chapter of CFA, said, “Some of it we made sure is going to hiring new tenure track faculty, because obviously we don’t have enough faculty either. It’s hard when you have to make these choices between using the money to hire new faculty, or using the money to get raises for faculty that have already been here and are underpaid. We just find that the money is being ill spent.”

Engen said that studies show that most other people who work in higher education in California, are making more money than those working in the CSU system.

“As our studies show, the UC professors get paid more than we do, community college professors get paid more than we do. Everybody does” said Engen.

However, Molle said that “salaries and compensations for faculty are up, and are comparable to like-size institutions.”

As the bargaining process continues, the CFA will be holding a Strike Authorization Vote for union members from Oct. 19 through Oct. 28.

During that time, CFA members will be able to cast ballots in person or online, and an on-campus rally will be held on Oct. 20. For more information, visit calfac.org.