Hours after its faculty union voted to authorize a strike, Illinois State University said Friday that it’s initiated “academic contingency planning activities” to minimize disruption if a work stoppage occurs.
The United Faculty of ISU said Friday that its members voted "overwhelmingly" in favor of a strike authorization. Exact vote totals were not provided. The union said the two sides are “still so far apart” on the financial aspects of its first contract.
Associate professor of history Keith Pluymers, a spokesperson for United Faculty of ISU, said members are angry and frustrated.
"There are still a significant number of issues that we have we just don't feel we are in striking distance of the administration on, and the members are fed up," said Pluymers.
In a statement Friday night, ISU officials said the “strike authorization is a development the University has worked hard to avoid."
“It is worth noting that a strike authorization does not make a strike inevitable: it gives the Union bargaining team the option to call for a strike, which they may or may not exercise,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Ani Yazedjian and Vice President for Finance and Planning Glen Nelson. “While we remain committed to bargaining in good faith and optimistic that the parties can reach agreement without a strike, the University has initiated academic contingency planning activities to ensure its ability to minimize disruption should a strike occur.”
Yazedjian and Nelson said “we understand this news may concern students and families.”
“No matter the outcome, the University is working to minimize the impact on our students and campus, and keep you informed of any potential developments,” they wrote. “With commencement just around the corner, we’d like to reassure our students who have applied for graduation that commencement will proceed as planned. At this time, all students should stay engaged in their coursework and maintain their academic progress.”
42 negotiation sessions so far
The union, which represents around 650 tenured and tenure-track faculty, is negotiating its first contract with ISU. There have been at least 42 negotiation sessions so far, including seven with help from an independent federal mediator, ISU said. It’s been contentious. The union filed an unfair labor charge against ISU last month and has publicly demonstrated across campus.
Pluymers said members, particularly ones who have been at the university a long time, have seen wages and compensation decline in real dollars after events like a year without a state budget, inflation, economic crises and the pandemic.
"They've stuck by ISU and have always been told that it would be made up for them in some way, and now they are getting a real clear message that that's not the case," said Pluymers.
ISU officials say their latest financial proposal included four weeks (20 business days) of new paid parental leave for all tenure-track faculty. On pay, ISU says the average salary for assistant and associate professors will be at or above the projected market averages for similar positions at Illinois State’s peer institutions by the first full month following contract ratification. By January 2027, the average salary for all ISU tenure-track faculty will be at or above the projected market averages for similar positions at ISU’s peer institutions, ISU officials said.
ISU officials say “a point of difference impeding agreement is that, while Illinois State has used institutions in the Midwest classified as R2 (a group to which Illinois State belongs) to benchmark faculty salaries, the Union’s compensation expectations are benchmarked against all doctoral-granting U.S. public colleges and universities, including over 100 Carnegie Classified R1 institutions, such as the University of Michigan, UC-Berkeley, and the University of Illinois Chicago.”
Pluymers said the two sides do have agreement on dozens of issues, but remaining ones are sticky, particularly economic matters.
“We have moved a little bit closer on those over the last few sessions, but we are still pretty far apart,” said Pluymers.
As the contract talks have progressed, ISU officials have stressed the “financial reality” facing the institution, which has already led to budget cuts.
“The University remains committed to continued good-faith negotiations to reach a contract agreement that reflects the needs of all stakeholders and demonstrates the value we place on our faculty,” Yazedjian and Nelson wrote. “However, we are also committed to the principle that the University must remain fiscally prudent, resilient, and sustainable for the long term.”
Another union official, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Katie Krcmarik, said that “faculty are tired of the stall tactics, disrespect, and financial misinformation being peddled by the administration.”
“It is long past time for ISU leadership to demonstrate that they value us as professionals and recognize what our students need to achieve academic success,” Krcmarik said.
The next mediation sessions are scheduled for March 24, March 28, April 2, and April 4.
"The choice belongs to [ISU] President [Aondover] Tarhule," the union said on Facebook. "When we bargain next Monday (3/24), the members have sent the message that we expect the Administration to come to the table with a serious offer. Otherwise, UFISU members are poised to take the next step – onto the picket line."
