Members of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Tenure / Tenure Track and Service Workers unions of University of Illinois Springfield held a rally at noon on Thursday, March 19. The rally was planned to coincide with the University of Illinois Board of Trustees meeting being held that morning at the UIS Student Union. An official vote was taken among union members prior to the rally, and both unions voted unanimously to authorize a strike if the next round of negotiations does not result in a contract. The service workers union’s next round of negotiations will take place today with the faculty union’s next negotiation session set for Monday, March 23.
“There are still a lot of issues out on the table and the sessions have gone into mediation,” said Dathan Powell, chapter president of UIS United Faculty. “Our hope in calling for mediation was that we would begin to see better collaboration, because all through last fall we didn’t seem to be making any headway with the administration. We come to the table hopeful that we can make a strong contract that will govern what the university’s responsibilities are and what the faculty’s responsibilities are. And we’re just faced with a lot of rejection.”
Allan Bettis has been working in building service at UIS for seven years. “I thought it was gonna be a really good opportunity,” he said on Thursday. “And it’s been good, but it’s also been rough at the same time. I got two children at home, and I have to work two jobs just to make things meet. I just wish it paid a little better so I didn’t have to spend so much time away from my family.”
UIS staff are paid $16.80 per hour, while a living wage for an individual with no dependents in Sangamon County is $21.97, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator. The union’s hope is to negotiate a $1 per year raise over the next four years, but so far an agreement has not been forthcoming.
“What the union is asking for is conventionally conservative in the sense that we’re asking for what we’ve already been given – we should be asking for even more,” said Richard Gilman-Opalsky, a professor in in the School of Politics and International Affairs. “What we’re trying to do here today is let the campus know that this is happening. My students learned that there have been many months of failed contract negotiations from me the week before spring break. The university isn’t educating anybody about it. So I guess that’s now our job, too.”
In response, UIS administration provided a written statement: “The University of Illinois Springfield is disappointed that members of UPI Local 4100, including the Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty and Clerical, Service and Technical units, have reported voting to authorize a strike. The vote does not necessarily mean a strike will occur, and from the University’s perspective, a strike is not warranted. The University has presented proposals that represent a fair contract given the University’s fiscal constraints. We respect our union colleagues and remain committed to working together to reach an agreement that serves the best interests of the entire university community while protecting the university’s financial wellness.”
Scott Faingold is a former instructor at University of Illinois Springfield, where he helped form the non-tenure track union in 2023. He was the founding editor of Activator magazine, a staff reporter for Illinois Times and co-host of Old School Bleep, a music-centered podcast. He can be reached at scottfaingold@gmail.com.
