I’ve worked at Cal State San Bernardino since 2017, supervising a team of skilled trades workers who maintain the buildings that thousands of students and faculty rely on every day. My crew is one of many across the California State University system whose work keeps campuses safe, functional and open to the nearly half a million students CSU serves.
Our work is hands-on and might be less visible than the roles people typically associate with universities, such as professors or administrators. But it is fundamental to the success of CSU, because the 43 million square feet of infrastructure across 22 campuses could not function without the electricians, plumbers, carpenters, locksmiths and maintenance workers who sustain it.
When I joined CSU, I believed that a public institution that prides itself as a place of opportunity for low-income students would show respect for its workforce, with predictable raises, solid benefits and a clear path to retirement. I’m a father of three young sons, living in one of the most expensive states in the country; these are a must…