California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed is publicly pressing leaders of the California Faculty Association to let members of their union vote on a proposal to take two furlough days a month as part of $584 million in budget cuts.
In a statement posted on CSU's web site, Reed said his officials have met with the faculty union three times to discuss furloughs.
But CFA has yet to schedule anything so members can vote on the proposal.
Reed appears to be getting impatient with CFA, judging by a message he posted on CSU's Web site, which you can read in its entirety by clicking here.
"We have provided answers to the questions posed by the CFA during our last meeting, and are urging them to present the furlough option to their members for a vote. We need to move forward to address the massive budget cuts that the system is facing before the impacts are magnified," Reed said.
"The CSU is facing an unprecedented crisis and it will take cooperation and shared sacrifice from all of us to get through this next fiscal year and beyond," Reed added.
There are about 23,000 faculty members in the CSU.
CSU said it proposed furloughs to all of its labor unions as a way to address an anticipated $584 million cut, or 13 percent reduction, to CSU's 2009-10 budget.
If adopted by all the unions, furloughs could cut CSU's salary expenditures by about $275 million. CSU said it's eying other spending cuts to cover the rest of the budget gap.
Collective bargaining agreements between the CSU and its employee unions include provisions covering mandated non-retention and layoffs, but not furloughs. Each bargaining unit, therefore, must agree to negotiate furloughs, Reed said.
So far, only two --the California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) representing 16,000 non-academic employees and the Academic Professionals of California (APC) representing 2,400 student service employees-- have agreed to talk furloughs.
Reed's putting his money where his mouth is: on June 5, he already introduced a series of changes to CSU regulations that could pave the way for furloughs and salary reductions among CSU management and executive personnel.
To see the proposed regulations for executive furloughs, click here.
IMAGE: Chancellor Charles B. Reed, California State University Photo
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