Members of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Tenure / Tenure Track union of University of Illinois Springfield officially began a strike April 3 after nearly a year of negotiations with university administration. A rally including a picket line was held beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
According to a UIS United Faculty social media post, the decision to strike was reached following upward of 10 hours of negotiations on Thursday, April 2, where the administration “made no serious effort to settle a fair contract” and instead offered “ultimatums, backtrack(ing) on previously agreed proposals and outright refus(al) to negotiate mandatory subjects of bargaining.”
According to a statement provided by the UIS administration, “the University of Illinois Springfield respects the right of the UPI Local 4100 tenured and tenure-track faculty to choose a work stoppage, but is disappointed that union members have chosen this course of action. Our faculty colleagues play a valuable role on our campus and contribute meaningfully to the student experience. The University and the Union have met for 18 bargaining sessions, including a 10-hour session last night, where we communicated our readiness and willingness to continue meeting in mediation. We remain hopeful the union will return to the table so negotiations can continue.”
Bargaining sessions have been ongoing since the strike began but have failed to end the stalemate. Illinois State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, each showed their support for the union with separate appearances at campus rallies on April 3 and April 6, respectively.
All classes taught by members of the tenure and tenure-track union will not be held until further notice. It is important to note that non-tenure track instructors have a separate union and contract and will continue to teach classes during the strike, as will adjunct instructors.
The UIS administration is posting updates regarding the situation on its website.
This article has been updated with information about the visit by U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski.
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 and has been 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.