As many as 1,000 California State University faculty members are expected to rally Wednesday at the Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach to protest what they say are misplaced priorities of university administration.

Union officials say administrators are spending too much money on executives and aren't doing enough to fight soaring fees that are making it hard for students to stay in school or to address sagging faculty and staff salaries.

"We believe that they have not been representing the real and true needs of the CSU and that they misallocated the resources" on factors such as transitional pay programs for top executives and other expenses, said John Travis, a Humboldt State University professor who is president of the California Faculty Association.

The university and union, which represents 22,000 teachers, librarians, coaches and counselors at CSU's 23 campuses, are at an impasse in contract negotiations that started 18 months ago. Some sticking points are salary and workload issues.

CSU spokeswoman Clara Potes-Fellow said the rally is an attempt to influence negotiations.

Travis said the rally — which he says he believes will be the largest ever organized in the CSU — transcends contract issues.

"We're talking about whether or not their priorities reflect what California needs," said Travis. Union members said administrators have not fought hard enough in Sacramento forfunding boosts to forestall past tuition hikes and

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provide for salary adjustments.

Faculty members at the rally are calling for a rollback of student fees, the end of "executive perks," and fair contract negotiations.

Faculty from every campus are expected to attend the rally, including about 20 from California State University, East Bay, union members said. Professors will be joined by students and staff at the protest.

Potes-Fellow said CSU negotiators offered the union a 25 percent salary increase over the next four years, but union officials turned it down. Travis said the offer was vague about future resources, and the union's proposal included a restructured salary schedule that would benefit more faculty members.

Potes-Fellow said faculty members have great health and retirement benefits, and administrators are working to enhance their salaries. CSU trustees are expected Tuesday to vote on a budget proposal for next year that asks the state to increase CSU appropriations by about 1 percent.

"That will be very much related to faculty salaries," Potes-Fellow said. "... The more we can improve their lives, the better for the faculty, the university and the students. That's what CSU is trying to do."

Contact Michelle Maitre at mmaitre@angnewspapers.com or (510) 208-6481.