Faculty of U.S.'s largest public university system begins 5-day strike

Nearly 30,000 professors and lecturers throughout the faculty of California State University (CSU) began a five-day walkout Monday in the largest university strike in US history.

The strike is expected to affect nearly 460,000 students at the 23 campuses of CSU, which is the largest public university system in the US.

The California Faculty Association, a labor union representing lecturers, professors, counselors and librarians from the 23 campuses, said they are "negotiating for community well-being, safety on campus, appropriate workload, adequate and humane paid parental leave, and wages that keep pace with the cost of living and set a livable minimum standard for our lowest paid faculty."

"CSU management wants to maintain the status quo, which is not working for the vast majority of our faculty, students and staff," CFA Vice President of Racial and Social Justice Chris Cox said in a statement.

"In order for us to have a properly functioning system in years to come, we need to improve the working conditions for faculty and learning conditions for students," Cox added.

California State University said in a statement quoted by CNN that it "remains committed to supporting our students and entering into labor agreements that do not result in cuts to the academic and student supportive programs that make the CSU the most diverse and transformative university system in the nation."