California State Faculty Holds Vote To Authorize Strike

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Some 24,000 California State University employees head to the polls Monday to start a two-weeklong vote on whether to authorize their union to declare a strike.

Members of the California Faculty Association, which represents professors, librarians, coaches and counselors across the system's 23 campuses, have until April 27 to say whether they authorize the union's board of directors to call a two-day strike at an unspecified date.

Under the "rolling strike" plan, groups of campuses would go out on strike for two days each, one immediately after another.

Union President Lillian Taiz says the association will decide whether to strike if it disagrees with any settlement proposed by a state-appointed fact finder.

The union and the administration are at an impasse after 22 months of negotiations and mediation.