Cal Poly maintenance workers go on strike. Here’s why
Plumbers, HVAC technicians and other maintenance workers picketed at Cal Poly on Tuesday as part of a weeklong statewide labor strike across 22 CSU campuses.
Teamsters Local 2010 — the labor union that represents skilled trade workers within the CSU — is accusing the Cal State system of engaging in unfair labor practices after denying workers raises they say were contractually obligated.
According to the Sacramento Bee, the CSU reentered contract negotiations with the Teamsters last year after the system’s funding was cut, offering workers one-time bonuses instead of the raises they had secured.
Through a four-day strike, the union is attempting to secure the denied raises.
The CSU, however, says that the raises negotiated for the skilled trade workers were tied to the receipt of new, ongoing funding from the state that was never received — though the union argues that the raises were fully funded through a zero-interest loan from the state to the CSU, according to a statement from the bargaining team on the union’s website.
The CSU said in a statement on the strike that it values its employees, and it accused the union of “advancing false claims to justify a strike.”
“Agreements matter,” the CSU statement said. “The Teamsters agreed, in writing, to reopen bargaining if a certain level of new, ongoing funds were not received in 2025. That’s exactly where we are. The CSU has been bargaining in good faith, and we urge the Teamsters to honor their commitment and return to the table.
“We hope the Teamsters will return to good-faith negotiations so we can reach an agreement as soon as possible.”
Skilled workers strike at Cal Poly
At Cal Poly, about a dozen workers and Teamsters members dressed in raincoats and ponchos lined the Grand Avenue entrance on a rainy Tuesday morning, holding signs and marching across the roads and on the sidewalks.
One worker held a megaphone, and led the group in chants of “Hey, hey, beep beep, the CSU is not a cheap,” and “What do we want? Fair pay. When do we want it? Now.”
Some passing cars honked at the crowd and occasional passersby signaled their support with a thumbs-up or a wave.
Matthew Weiss was one of the picketers participating in the strike. He told The Tribune he was there to demand fair wages for he and his fellow skilled trade workers.
He said the CSU “reneged” on 3% contractual raises for maintenance workers, citing budget constraints, but then turned around to fund other projects and give raises to university presidents, including Cal Poly’s Jeffrey Armstrong, who received the largest pay increase to become the highest-paid CSU president.
By striking, Weiss said he was hoping to get the CSU to “make good on the contract that they agreed to previously.”
“I hope they put their money where their mouth is,” he said. “And if they really do respect the work we do, then pay us a reasonable wage for it.”
Don Nelson, a refrigeration mechanic who has worked at Cal Poly for 11 years, was also on strike Tuesday. He stood at the intersection of Slack Street and Grand Avenue, waving at passing cars and handing out information on the protest.
“I equate it to when you buy a car or something like that, you go into a contract to purchase something,” Nelson told The Tribune. “Well, if you run into financial troubles, you still have to pay that contract. They bargained and signed a contract, and that’s why we are striking for unfair labor practices.”
Nelson added that the employees striking this week are the ones who keep the campuses running for students and faculty.
“We work hard,” he said. “We love our campuses. We love our jobs. It’s really important for the students to have a good learning environment.”
Picketers planned to demonstrate at the campus entrances for the rest of the week.
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