Union members of Teamsters Local 2010 are striking across all 22 California State University campuses, demanding pay increases they fought to obtain. The strike began Tuesday and will continue through Friday.
Teamsters Local 2010 represents essential campus trade workers — including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC technicians, and mechanics — who maintain daily university operations. Union members accuse the CSU system of failing to provide a 5% general salary increase to workers, as well as failing to honor salary step increases that Teamsters secured in a 2024 contract.
Teamsters Local 2010, along with the California Faculty Association and other CSU unions, fought for salary step implementation for nearly three decades, which provides salary increases to workers based on career longevity and years of service.
Teamsters eventually secured salary step increases in their January 2024 contract, with 84% of workers reaching their target salary step by October that same year. All members reached their target steps by July 2025. However, Teamsters allege they did not receive their increases, with some salaries even falling behind new hires.
“Right is right, and wrong is wrong,” said Jamal Colter, a Teamsters Local 2010 representative, “If they [CSU] signed a contract, they have to honor it. The budget does not factor into that.”
According to Colter, the CSU cited budgetary constraints as the main reason for not fulfilling the promised salary increases, despite universities continuing to fund major construction projects and the CSU Board of Trustees approving pay raises for 13 CSU presidents in November 2025.
“They have construction going on, which is good, but what makes CSU run are the actual workers,” Colter stated, “We never want to go on strike. This is the last thing we want to do — but they gave us no choice.”
Colter stated that the CSU contacted Teamsters Local 2010 shortly before the strike began in hopes of renegotiating, but union members remain unsure of the CSU’s commitment.
“CSU reached out right before the strike on Monday, but when they contacted us they didn’t say, ‘We’re going to pay you guys.’ It was more of, ‘Let’s come back to the table and talk,’” Colter said.
In a statement released Tuesday, the CSU claims that Teamsters Local 2010 is “advancing false claims to justify a strike,” insisting that it did not secure the proper funding to pay union members in 2025.
“We hope the Teamsters will return to good-faith negotiations so we can reach an agreement as soon as possible,” the statement read.
