__SALUTATION__

Wage disparity between the lowest and highest employees is increasing despite gains for low-wage employees. In 2024, the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio for S&P 500 companies was 285-to-1.

In the CSU system, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo President Jeffrey Armstrong is the highest paid president, earning $611,203 per year. But, according to CFA president Margarita Berta-Ávila, the lowest paid full-time lecturer at CSU makes a little over $66,000 a year. Like other universities, most lecturers at CSU work part-time and earn significantly less.

My new bill, AB 1831, would set reasonable limits on the compensation of chancellors, executive presidents, and other members of the management staff in CSUs. Executive pay will be capped at 125% of the Governor's salary; currently, that means a cap of $307,000. It's not fair to employees or students to prioritize compensation for admin. At a time when CSU is raising tuition for students and refusing to honor promised salary increases for CSU Employees Union members, it's unfathomable that executive management compensation could be so high.

It's up to us to change CSU's history of prioritizing executive salaries over students and employees.

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to my district office at (408) 446-2810.

Sincerely,

Patrick Ahrens
Assemblymember, District 26