Fresno State, Other CSU students trying to unionize student assistants

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Just days after a historic system-wide strike by the CSU faculty, student employees are trying to make their history by working to create the largest union of undergraduate student workers in the U.S.

On Thursday, students canvassed at all 23 CSU campuses, encouraging student assistants to vote to unionize with the California State University Employees Union.

Students could start voting to unionize on Thursday, but as student Katerina Aleksenko found, there is some hesitancy and uncertainty.

"I've noticed that a lot of students working under the CSU system and are paid by the CSU are a little bit afraid to speak out against the CSU system just to have better wages or to form a union for the employees," said Aleksenko.

She isn't eligible to vote because of how her on-campus job is classified, so she spent the day conversing about the effort to unionize with other students and how it could benefit them.

"To be able to fight for what we want," said Aleksenko. "Which is hopefully higher wages, more hours, just better benefits, conditions of working, sick time off."

Campus jobs can be more accessible to students because they don't have to travel to another location for work, and the jobs work with their class schedule, but students say there are downsides.

Pay starts at just over $16 an hour, and students are limited to 20 hours per week.

The threat of rising tuition and cost of living made forming a union feel more urgent for Aleksenko and fellow student Emilio Carrasco.

"But if you're having to work another one or two jobs on top of your student assistant job on top of your schoolwork, it can affect your academic performance. So, I think that kind of backfires in a way. You come to school here so that way you can get the degree you need, but at the same time, you're not getting paid enough by the CSU system to support yourself," said Carrasco.

The CSU released a statement in response to the effort that read: "California State University respects the rights of workers to unionize. Should student assistants elect to unionize, the CSU looks forward to engaging with them as we do with our other union partners. "

As this is a system-wide effort, Fresno State declined to comment.

Voting is open now through February 22.

At that point, if the students vote to unionize, they will begin the work to create the union.

If successful, the nearly 20,000 student workers would become the largest union of undergraduate student workers in the US.

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