Over 50 faculty members gathered to rally.

The Tribune reports.

Cuesta College Faculty Members Rally for Pay Raise

Holding signs reading “United for Education. Fair Pay Now!” more than 50 Cuesta College faculty members gathered Wednesday on the San Luis Obispo campus to rally support for the faculty union’s goal to seek a pay raise.

“When will the (college) president and trustees decide that it’s time to invest in the well-being of Cuesta employees?” Cuesta College Federation of Teachers President Debra Stakes said to the group of colleagues and some students who stopped to watch the lunchtime event.

Faculty members have only received a 2 percent salary increase in the last seven years, she said, while at the same time, employees are required to contribute more toward their retirement.

“As a result we’re actually getting less real dollars than we were during the recession,” Stakes said. “Rents are going up. We need an across-the-board increase — bigger than 2 percent.”