The California Faculty Association, which represents 29,000 California State University professors and instructors, will hold a weeklong strike across the system’s campuses in January, including at Cal Poly, the union said in a news release.

Barring any new action or agreement, the strike would likely shut down classes at 23 university campuses in the third week after students return from winter break, CFA-SLO legislative analyst and Cal Poly history Professor Cameron Jones told The Tribune.

“While it’s unfortunate that we have gotten to this point, we really don’t think our demands are unreasonable considering … the billions the CSU has in reserves,” Jones said.

The union reopened part of its contract with the CSU last May and is demanding a 12% salary increase, more manageable workloads, more counselors for students, the right to counsel when approached by campus police, more paid leave, and more lactation rooms, gender neutral bathrooms and changing rooms on campuses.

The CFA went on strike for the first time in 12 years earlier this month when faculty members picketed at four campuses over four days.

Now, it’s planning a wider labor action from Jan. 22-26.

CSU communications spokesperson Hazel Kelly said the CSU respects the rights of faculty to go on strike and will continue to negotiate the union’s salary demands. Kelly added that the CSU will agree to all other non-salary related demands.

But CFA bargaining committee member Meghan O’Donnell told the Tribune that the CSU has not communicated to the CFA that it will be agreeing to any of the union’s demands.

O’Donnell added that bargaining will continue on Jan. 8.

Jones, the history professor, expected the strike to cause widespread class cancellations.

“I haven’t talked to a single faculty member that said they won’t strike,” Jones said.

He added that his colleagues are even going further, questioning why the CFA hasn’t declare a complete indefinite work stoppage.

“In this sense, the (CFA leadership) is being more cautious (than its members), starting out slowly,” Jones said.

Cal Poly communications spokesperson Matt Lazier refused to comment on the upcoming strike actions and possible class cancellations and instead deferred to the CSU’s communications office.

CSU says striking faculty members will have pay docked

In an email to faculty, the CSU said that faculty members would be required to record their absences while striking and would have their pay docked for hours spent away from work.

CFA-SLO field representative Craig Flanery said in a statement to the Tribune that the email was a “misleading intimidation tactic” and “out of touch with campus culture as well as norms of collegiality and self-governance.”

Flanery added that the CSU’s pay threat could be illegal if pay is docked only for some striking employees. Flanery doubted the CSU’s ability to properly adjudicate which of 29,000 CFA employees will have their pay docked, opening up the possibility of a lawsuit.

Cal Poly students support faculty

Despite the threat of cancelled classes, students are rallying behind their professors.

“I stand by our faculty,” said Brendan Jacoby, a senior communications major at Cal Poly. “Too many faculty are forced to work multiple jobs just to keep up with the high cost of living in San Luis Obispo — They are just asking for a livable minimum.”

Fifth-year history major Dylan Ouellet said he supported the strike but wanted to know where the money would come from in order to finance faculty raises.