Faculty at Illinois State University on Monday said they have filed a notice of Intent to Strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.
The move starts a 10-day clock that would enable the United Faculty of ISU to strike as early as April 4 if there's no agreement on a contract.
The union announced Friday that its members voted “overwhelmingly” to support a strike authorization.
Union members said several items remain unresolved, including faculty workloads, pay, leave policies for new parents and caregivers, and student mental health supports.
"To continue to attract and retain world-class educators at ISU, this administration must bargain a fair agreement that shows they value our faculty and recognize what our students need to reach their potentials,” said Derek Sparby, ISU associate professor of English.
ISU officials said Friday after the strike authorization vote that the university has offered compensation that’s at or above market averages for ISU’s peer institutions and has pledged four weeks of new paid parental leave for all tenure-track faculty.
The union and ISU administration have met more than 40 times to work out a contract.
United Faculty of ISU said bargaining sessions are planned on March 28, April 2, and April 4.
The labor dispute comes as the university looks for ways to trim a structural deficit that university president Aondover Tarhule projected during his State of the University address last fall at $32 million over three years.
