No minimum wage for CSU workers

From CSUEU President Pat Gantt:

Yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger made public an executive order that could temporarily reduce pay for more than 200,000 state workers to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. According to the union's preliminary review, the executive order does not apply to CSU staff or to other CSU employees.

Unlike many other state agencies, the CSU and other public higher education segments generally are not under the direct executive authority of the governor.

State Controller John Chiang, whose office issues state paychecks, released a statement Thursday saying that he won't follow the order unless a court tells him to. Today, the California Court of Appeal, looking at a similar executive order from 2008, held that Schwarzenegger had the authority to issue such an order. Again, to the best of our knowledge, these orders do not apply to CSU staff or to other CSU employees. Chiang can -- and likely will -- seek a review of the appellate court decision by the California Supreme Court in the coming days and weeks.

We are in contact with the California State University Chancellor's Office, and received an official response (see attachment), which says the CSU will not be cutting their paychecks.

For their part, members of the state legislature have adjourned for summer recess.

In Union,
Pat Gantt
Pat Gantt, President
CSUEU/SEIU Local 2579