Latest news with #UISIU
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UIS faculty members authorize strike amidst contract negations with university
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Non-tenure track faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield could be going on strike next week after their union filed a notice with an 'overwhelming' vote. In an email to the campus community, Chancellor Janet Gooch explained that the university has been negotiating with University of Illinois-Springfield Instructors United (UISIU) for the last year on a new contract. The two parties have met at least 20 times and reached 11 tentative agreements on approximately 20 contract articles being negotiated. Student sexually assaulted at fraternity over the weekend: U of I Public Safety But UISIU said in a statement of their own that the university is still refusing to make 'reasonable movement on job security and workload issues that are critical to our members.' On Feb. 26, the union's members voted to authorize a strike and on March 7, the union filed its 10-day strike notice. Members may go on strike as early as March 18. 'A strike will be our last resort, but we are prepared to withhold our labor if necessary to ensure that, in the long term, we can continue to give our students the high-quality education they deserve,' English instructor Scott Fenton said. 'A strike can still be avoided if this administration will finally show that they value our work and prioritize students' needs. We want to get an agreement done and the administration should too.' 'We love our students and the work we do to make a difference in their futures,' Fenton added. 'But after a year of bargaining and multiple sessions with a federal mediator, Chancellor Gooch and her administration have clearly not heard us as faculty… we hope the filing of this notice will serve as a wakeup call. It's time to take us seriously.' Proposed bill seeks increased oversight for homeschool families Gooch said she and others in the university administration were disappointed that UISIU had filed the strike notice, especially with two more bargaining sessions scheduled for March 14 and March 18. 'The University's goal throughout the past year of negotiations has been to balance an intent to fairly compensate our valued teaching colleagues for their important contributions, while also ensuring progress to reduce the University's structural deficit,' Gooch said. 'A work stoppage will do nothing to change the constraints that limit what UIS can ultimately provide in a new union contract.' Gooch added that if a strike does occur, the university will have measures in place to minimize the impact on students' academics like exams and grades. 'We will continue to bargain in good faith and do everything within our power to avoid a disruption to learning,' Gooch added. 'I remain hopeful that we will be able to reach a fair, sustainable and fiscally responsible agreement with which both parties can be satisfied.' UISIU represents 40 full time, non-tenure track faculty at UIS. Those faculty members teach more than 130 classes per semester at UIS. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Non-tenure track faculty with UIS authorize strike
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — After two days of voting, members of the University of Illinois-Springfield Instructors United (UISIU) announced Wednesday that they voted to authorize a strike. Although this does not guarantee that the UISIU members will strike, it gives the bargaining team the authority to call one if a fair agreement is not reached. New program saves Illinois public college students thousands of dollars 'The results of our strike authorization vote say it all: Our members have had enough, and time is running out. Chancellor Gooch and her team must finally take these negotiations seriously and show they value our work. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to strike,' Scott Fenton, UIS English instructor, said. Fenton said that despite a year of bargaining, they have not made much progress with the university. 'We have been bargaining for a full year and have yet to see any substantive movement on critical issues, including reasonable workloads and improved job security. Last fall, we were forced to demand federal mediation and file Unfair Labor Practice charges to pressure this administration to bargain in good faith, as required by law,' Fenton said. 'Still the chancellor and her team refuse to make meaningful proposals or demonstrate respect for our members.' According to a statement from a University of Illinois-Springfield spokesperson, the university will work to create an agreement that supports the campus as a whole. UIS is aware that the non-tenure track faculty union has voted to authorize a strike. The university is committed to negotiating a fair and fiscally responsible collective bargaining agreement that supports the needs of the entire campus community. UIS has reached tentative agreements on several issues, with additional mediation sessions scheduled. UIS Spokesperson Advocates, Central Illinois lawmakers call for more protections for Mahomet Aquifer Before calling a strike, the union is required to file a 10-day notice of intent with Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB). John Miller, president of the University of Professionals of Illinois, shared a statement on the UISIU's members decision to strike. Higher education professionals are being forced to fight for job security and respect all across the country, but it is sad to see that the outstanding professionals in our prized University of Illinois system must do the same. Students deserve the best. They can only get that when their educators have the time and working conditions necessary to provide high-quality instruction. Chancellor Gooch must prioritize student needs and avoid a strike by reaching a fair agreement with faculty immediately. John Miller The UISIU represents 40 full time, non-tenure track (NTT) faculty at the University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS). They organized in January of last year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
