Picketing across the Illinois State University campus continued for the second day Thursday.
AFSCME Local 1110 workers have been demonstrating outside ISU's primary administration building and the various points across campus where the university’s striking grounds, buildings and dining services workers would typically be on the job.
Dustin Dawson was among a group stationed outside the ISU warehouse building in north Normal. Supplies like cleaning solutions, toiletries and tools for trades workers are distributed from that location. He works there as a delivery driver and clerical worker.
“We know that us not being there is having an impact on the university,” said Dawson. “And it just sort of cements the idea that, yes, we are important, and yes we deserve to be treated fairly.”
Dawson said a number of trades workers have turned around instead of entering the warehouse when they see the picketing workers out front. Other vendors and drivers ask for more detail about the strike or offer support as they go by. Dawson’s group had petition flyers to hand out for those who were interested.
“The only people who haven't been stopping, we're pretty much assuming, are people that are being sent from other spots in the university to get the supplies that we would normally be distributing,” said Dawson.
Union members are seeking pay raises and retroactive pay for labor completed after the previous contract ended last summer. They also seek guarantees that union members would receive at least the same wage increases as other university employees when those occur. While recent offers from the university have included pay raises, the other items were not included.
“They talk about dignity and everything else, but it's time for management to walk the walk and not just talk the talk,” said Roy Spencer, who works as a cook at Watterson Dining.
No bargaining sessions with the union are scheduled at this time, according to university spokesperson Chris Coplan.
Student impacts
Students said they have already noticed a difference in how the university functions since the strike began.
“The food,” said freshman interior design major Tessa Eckert, “it was reheated from, like, the day before or the weekend—the breakfast and the eggs and all that.”
“In the dorms actually, the garbage just took them a couple days to actually change it,” added Kaylee George, a freshman studying criminal justice. “Last night they had some guy and he came and changed the garbage, but they were overflowing; there was garbage on the ground. It was just, like, really messy.”
To these students, the inconveniences caused by the strike are not minor.
“I already paid off my first semester and everything, so it's just like, I'm paying for this,” said Eckert. “But obviously I respect [the striking workers]. If they want to be paid more, they need to be paid more.”
“We all pay to be here, so it's just kind of like, what's gonna happen then? We pay for meal plans, pay for living,” said freshman elementary education student Gabriella Rodriguez. “I think everyone should be paid livable wages, and expenses have gone up on everything.”
University spokesperson Chris Coplan responded: "The University's contingency plans are in place, students continue to be served and buildings continue to be cleaned."
