Teamsters Local 2010 Launches CSU Skilled Trades Strike

Teamsters Local 2010 is escalating its contract enforcement fight with a weeklong strike by skilled trades workers across the California State University (CSU) system. On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Local 2010’s Secretary-Treasurer Jason Rabinowitz says the dispute is not only about wages, but also about a broken commitment: step increases and pay progression negotiated to correct decades of suppressed pay for campus trades workers. The union argues CSU has the funding to honor the agreement, pointing to reserves, tuition increases and state support mechanisms that provide cash flow even when appropriations are deferred.

With a 95 percent strike authorization vote, the Teamsters are aiming to demonstrate that campus operations depend on the work of electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, carpenters and maintenance mechanics who keep facilities safe and functional for students, faculty and the public.

• Teamsters Local 2010 says the California State University system broke a contract promise by withholding step increases and pay adjustments due in July 2025.
• The strike spotlights skilled trades as essential campus infrastructure, encompassing HVAC and electrical work, maintenance and safety.
• Union leaders argue CSU has the money through reserves, tuition revenue and state funding tools, but is choosing to short workers.

The California State University system spans 22 campuses, from the far north to the state’s largest metro areas, and relies on a workforce that rarely appears in glossy recruitment brochures. These are the skilled trades workers who keep classrooms lit, labs safe, HVAC systems running, and critical maintenance work moving on schedule.

This week, those workers are withdrawing their labor.

On the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Jason Rabinowitz, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 2010, described a strike strategy designed to force CSU leadership back to the bargaining table and to compel compliance with pay provisions the union says were already negotiated and owed. The action is scheduled Tuesday through Friday, timed to coincide with a high-impact period in the academic calendar.

Rabinowitz serves as Director of Internal Organizing and Training for the Teamsters Public Services Division and is also the Secretary-Treasurer and principal officer of Teamsters Local 2010. He said the dispute reflects a larger problem in U.S. labor relations: workers can win improvements at the table, but enforcement becomes the real test when employers attempt to delay, reinterpret or simply refuse to deliver.

Teamsters Local 2010 and the CSU Skilled Trades Workforce

Teamsters Local 2010 represents roughly 26,000 public education workers in California, including employees at the University of California, California State University and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Within that membership is a core group of approximately 1,100 skilled trades workers across the CSU system. These are plumbers, carpenters, electricians, HVAC technicians, maintenance mechanics and other trades who keep campuses operating day to day.

Rabinowitz emphasized that the Teamsters is a diverse union with members across industries, including a significant public sector footprint. In California, that public sector presence is especially visible in higher education, where campus workforces are essential to safety, operations and continuity.

Step Increases and Pay Progression at CSU

The central issue in the dispute is pay progression.

Rabinowitz said CSU historically stood out among public employers in California by failing to provide step increases—structured annual movement through pay scales based on years of service. In practical terms, that meant long-tenured workers could remain stuck near the bottom of their pay range for decades.

When Teamsters Local 2010 began representing this group, the union made step increases a strategic priority. The goal was not simply to secure a one-time raise, but to create a fair wage structure that recognizes experience and stabilizes retention.

According to Rabinowitz, that campaign required a multi-front approach: legislative advocacy, rallies, pickets, and ultimately strike action. The union says it won a contract that restored step increases after nearly three decades.

California State University (CSU) Contract Dispute and July 2025 Raises

The union’s current strike is rooted in what it describes as a breach of contract.

Rabinowitz said CSU implemented the first two years of contract raises and rolled out the step system, producing significant wage corrections for workers who had been underpaid for years. But in the third year of the agreement, CSU failed to deliver step increases and additional adjustments due in July 2025, he said.

The shortfall affected not only workers represented by the Teamsters but also other CSU unions, including staff and public safety units, Rabinowitz said.

The union’s framing is direct: CSU made a promise in a signed agreement, then refused to honor it.

Teamsters Local 2010 Says CSU Has the Money

Rabinowitz argued the dispute is not about a lack of resources.

He acknowledged that California faced a challenging budget year, but said unions and campus workers fought to secure state support for CSU. He also described state funding mechanisms that provide immediate cash flow even when some appropriations are deferred.

In the union’s view, CSU is using budget timing and accounting arguments to justify withholding pay increases while continuing to fund executive compensation and capital expansion.

Rabinowitz also pointed to tuition increases and enrollment growth as additional sources of revenue. The union’s position is that CSU’s financial posture changes depending on who is being paid: austerity for workers, flexibility for executives and expansion.

Teamsters Local 2010 Strike Strategy: Why a Weeklong Walkout

Rabinowitz said the union chose a Tuesday-to-Friday work action during a holiday week to maximize operational disruption. The objective is to demonstrate that CSU’s core functions depend on trades workers and that campus leadership cannot treat them as interchangeable.

He also referenced prior strike escalation in earlier bargaining rounds, where the union began with a one-day statewide strike and prepared for a longer action before settling.

This time, the union is moving directly into a longer strike window, aiming to show capacity, discipline and unity.

Strike Authorization Vote: 95 Percent for Teamsters Local 2010

Rabinowitz reported that the strike authorization vote was 95 percent in favor.

That level of support is significant in public-sector labor disputes, where workers often face pressure to avoid walkouts and employers may attempt to frame strikes as harmful to the public.

The union’s internal message, as described on the program, is that striking is a last resort—but credibility at the table requires readiness to act.

Respect, Enforcement, and the Value of Skilled Trades Work

Beyond wages, Rabinowitz described a deeper grievance: disrespect.

He said workers are reacting not only to lost money, but to what they see as arrogance and hypocrisy from a public university system that depends on their labor while resisting fair treatment.

For skilled trades workers, the value of their work is visible every day in safe buildings, functioning systems and maintained facilities. The union argues that this work should be compensated and recognized accordingly.

Teamsters Public Services Division and the Broader Organizing Fight

Rabinowitz also connected the dispute to the broader labor movement.

He argued that U.S. labor law has not kept pace with the realities of organizing and bargaining and that corporate opposition remains a significant barrier to worker power. For Teamsters Local 2010, however, the immediate focus is straightforward: enforce the contract, restore the promised step increases and prevent CSU from setting a precedent that negotiated pay can be withheld.

As the strike unfolds across CSU campuses, the outcome will be watched by public sector unions nationwide. The question is whether a major public employer can delay or deny contractually negotiated wage progression—or whether workers, acting collectively, can compel compliance.

Go Behind the Scenes of the Labor Movement

Every victory at the bargaining table starts with workers standing together. From the shop floor to the statehouse, hear how activists are fighting for better wages, safer conditions and a stronger future. Subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to get the latest interviews with the leaders and organizers building worker power across America.