‘Greed’: Teamsters welcome students with one-day strike on move-in day

Members of the Teamsters Local 2010 striked on campus Wednesday, Aug. 26, as Sacramento State hosted its annual move-in day for students living in on-campus housing.

The one-day strike comes amid an ongoing dispute between the union and the California State University system over salary increases that union members say were promised in a three-year contract reached in 2024. 

“They haven’t put themselves in our shoes long enough to understand how important it is to keep their promises to us,” Kenny Burley, a Sacramento State plumber and Teamsters member said. 

Under the contract, union members were scheduled to receive a 1% salary structure adjustment and step increases beginning in July 2025, contingent on CSU receiving at least $480 million in new, unallocated and ongoing funding from the state.

In 2025, the state provided the CSU with a $144 million zero-interest loan as part of an effort to address the budget deficit at the time. According to the CSU budget frequently asked questions page, the loan was intended to make a “one-time investment in its employees.”

The CSU said the loan did not satisfy the funding requirement since it must be repaid, according to a statement released earlier this year.

The dispute led to a four-day statewide strike by Teamsters members in February, with the CSU maintaining that the funding contingency in the contract had not been met.

Since then, the 2026-27 state budget has provided the UC and CSU with more than $500 million in ongoing taxpayer support, according to CalMatters.

That new funding has renewed some of the same questions and concerns union members raised back in February. 

“We’re here saying you got the money, you should pay us,” Burley said. “And they’re just saying ‘No.’”

For Teamsters Chief Steward and executive board member Matthew Mason the timing highlighted the role facilities workers play in keeping the campus running as students return.

“We keep the buildings safe,” Mason said. “We’re boots on the ground, workers that actually maintain the buildings.”

Mason said facilities workers also save the university money by completing maintenance and renovation work in-house rather than relying on outside contractors.

Some union members’ concerns extend beyond their own wages, pointing to the financial burden the new housing requirements impose on students. The strike came as students and families arrived on campus for move-in day, which also marked the first year of the new two-year on-campus living requirement.

“I think it’s a money grab,” Michael Hendren, a facilities worker and Teamsters member, said. “A lot of people can’t afford to pay for that and that just raises the cost for the average student to get their degree.”

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The on-campus room and board average monthly cost for an 8-month license agreement during the fall semester is about $713 per month, varying on flooring plans and excluding meal plans. The cheapest option, a triple room dorm, costs about $513 per month while the most expensive, the AMC studio, costs $881 per month during the fall semester.

Jessica Martinez, a lecturer in education at Sac State and a member of the California Faculty Association, said she sees students struggle to balance their education with its rising costs.

“I have students working multiple jobs to try not to get student loans,” Martinez said. “It feels discouraging when your rent is going up and then your tuition goes up and your pay isn’t.”

Sac State administration sets fees and system wide tuition is determined by the CSU Board of Trustees. The board, led by Chancellor Mildred Garcia, has faced disapproval over its decisions regarding executive compensation, including approving raises for several CSU campus presidents.

For Teamsters members, the raises have added to concerns about how the CSU prioritizes its funding while workers remain without the salary increases outlined in their contract.

“What difference was it that the administrators got higher raises than we did?” Hendren said. “Did their cost of living go up more than ours?”

RELATED: BREAKING: President Luke Wood to receive 6% salary increase 

Monicka Tutschka, a political science professor and member of the California Faculty Association, said the CSU should be transparent about how it allocates funding. 

“You want the details in the budget,” Tutschka said. “You want to see concretely where the money goes.”

A day after the one-day strike in a recent social media post on Thursday, Aug. 27, Sac State President Luke Wood announced that the school had received a $150 million donation for a new engineering building. According to the school’s press release, the funding comes from the CSU and private donor funds combined. 

In an email from Warren Robak, CSU’s manager of media relations and public affairs, Robak said that the system remains committed to negotiations with the union. 

“The CSU remains committed to the collective bargaining process and will continue to negotiate in good faith with all its labor partners,” Robak said. “Its goal is to reach fair and fiscally responsible agreements that recognize the valuable contributions of CSU employees while ensuring the long-term financial stability of the university.”