This article reports on an outstanding event from May 2007, when the California Faculty Association (CFA), representing more than 24,000 faculty, counselors, and librarians at the 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU), won one of the best collective bargaining agreements in higher education history. The new agreement provides a 20.7 percent general salary increase for all members, as well as annual service step increases for those eligible. The author reports this was one of the most important ways faculty could improve conditions for the entire university by winning a strong contract for themselves. As negotiations were ongoing, the communications team distributed regular updates to state legislators arguing that higher education funding should be a priority. Taking more than 21 months to contract negotiations, the author reflects that the win made the faculty come to see the CFA not as a remote advocacy group, but as a collective self-defense organization belonging to the entire faculty. Maintaining that sense of ownership and commitment will be one of the most difficult and important challenges the CFA will face in coming years.