CSU Workers Lose Contract, Palomar Doubles Free Tuition, and SB 79's Affordability Promises Face Scrutiny

The CSU Employees Union — representing 36,000 staff and student workers across all 22 California State University campuses, including SDSU — saw its contract expire at midnight June 30th. Workers at SDSU joined rallies statewide on that day, and as of Thursday morning those employees are working without an agreement. The union, which has never previously called a strike, is demanding fully funded step raises retroactive to October 2025, 11% annual raises for three years, and job security protections. The CSU system has said it is bargaining in good faith; a bargaining session was scheduled for July 1st at Cal State LA. The union has identified fall semester as a possible strike window, which would affect SDSU's roughly 37,000 students at the start of the academic year.

In more immediate good news for students, Palomar College in San Marcos announced on June 30th it is nearly doubling its Palomar Promise free tuition program — from 1,700 slots to 3,500 for the 2026-27 academic year. The expansion, funded by a one-time $3.8 million investment from redevelopment agency funds, offers up to two years of free tuition at $46 per unit for up to 19 units per semester, plus textbook assistance and counseling services. Applications are open on a first-come, first-served basis at palomar.edu/palomarpromise.

Two additional education items shape the broader landscape. The newly signed California state budget includes a $5.5 million cut to school library funding statewide, eliminating money used to pay online research database fees for K-12 students — a cost pressure that hits San Diego County districts already running deficits. On a positive note, a new Memorandum of Understanding between SDSU and the San Diego Community College District now guarantees admission to SDSU for qualified transfer students from City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges who earn an Associate Degree for Transfer and meet minimum CSU standards, excluding nursing and audition-based programs.

On the field, the Padres arrive at Dodger Stadium Thursday carrying a four-game losing streak. San Diego sits at 43-41, 12 games back of the 56-30 Dodgers in the NL West. Randy Vasquez, 6-6 with a 4.44 ERA, starts for the Padres against Roki Sasaki, 3-5 with a 4.88 ERA. First pitch is at 7:10 PM PDT; the Dodgers are listed as minus-199 favorites. In brighter news, SDSU became an official Pac-12 member on July 1st, joining Fresno State, Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, Texas State, Washington State, and Oregon State in the relaunched conference. The Aztecs' first Pac-12 home game is October 3rd against Texas State.

The most confident civic claim in Thursday's coverage — that SB 79 will improve housing affordability — warrants honest scrutiny. The optimistic case holds that transit-oriented density reduces per-unit costs, diminishes car-dependency expenses, and exerts downward pressure on rents over time. The counterargument is equally coherent: with the multifamily vacancy rate already at a 15-year high and 5,900 units entering the market this year, SB 79-enabled construction may predominantly add market-rate units that never reach cost-burdened households. Without affordability mandates tied to SB 79 entitlements, developers building to maximum density near transit corridors typically target the highest-rent tenants their financial projections support — benefiting middle-income renters while doing little for families earning below median wages. Research from Seattle and Portland also shows that transit-oriented upzoning without anti-displacement protections can accelerate gentrification in adjacent neighborhoods. Indicators to watch: the affordability mix of the first 12 months of SB 79-approved applications; whether the City Council's phased implementation plan layers in additional affordability requirements; and whether the rental junk fee ordinance — a separate, direct lever on out-of-pocket housing costs — ultimately reaches a final vote.