The faculty union for the California State University system has announced its intention to go on strike next month as it pushes for higher wages, more mental health counselors at schools, and paid parental leave.

The California Faculty Association voted this week to authorize a strike that will shut down the entire state university system from Jan. 22 until Jan. 26. The union had previously held a more targeted strike this month in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Pomona, and Sacramento.

FOUR TIMES DEMOCRATS HAVE BACKED SOMETHING THAT MAY COME BACK TO BITE THEM

“Our members refuse to give in to what they know is beneath their worth,” Charles Toombs, the president of the CFA, said in a statement. “Unlike management, we are unwilling to be complicit in the harming of our colleagues, students, and staff. Our commitment to one another is unshakeable.”

The union says it is bargaining for increased salaries, but is also pushing for "equity, access, belonging, and the honoring of all student, faculty, and staff identities; the uplifting and embracing of all lived experiences." The union also says that it is negotiating to "lift up our most vulnerable faculty and address long-standing racial, gender, and social inequities."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The five-day strike will also include the Teamsters union, which represents staff employees in the university system.

"The strikes are dependent on whether our CFA Bargaining Team’s upcoming meetings with CSU management on January 8, 9, 11, and 12 will bear fruit," the union said in a press release. "They can, at any time, prevent a strike by offering us a fair contract. If they do not, then we will escalate our job actions to create a more promising future for all of us."