The picket lines at Illinois State University held strong on day eight of the AFSCME Local 1110 strike, with an agreement still not reached.
Since April 8, building and dining service workers [BSW] at ISU have been striking over wages and other terms and conditions of their contract that expired in June 2025.
Contract negotiations were held Wednesday morning, but the parties did not reach a deal. The session lasted about two hours, according to the union.
The university has continued to stick to its final contract proposal, arguing it is “competitive with that for comparable roles in the local marketplace,” Vice President for Finance and Planning Glen Nelson said in a statement.
“As a public, higher education institution with a nearly 170-year legacy of serving generations of students, Illinois State recognizes and values its employees and the roles each plays in the student experience," he said. "The University also recognizes that competitive compensation is essential for that to continue.”
For striking union members at Bone Student Center, the terms still are not good enough.
Jason Stefanich is a storage laborer at Watterson Dining Commons. His job includes lifting and organizing food deliveries and cleaning those areas.
“My reaction when I heard the news that ISU offered the same offer that they did before, that is not negotiating,” he said. “They’re not working with our union to come to a compromise and the longer we’re out here, the longer things aren’t being cleaned. There’s the potential bad food is being made, and it’s a no win for anybody…”
Cory Nuckols, a cook at Watterson, thinks the university is trying to outlast the union.
“I think the board [of trustees] is trying to wait us out. They’re hoping that people with this instant gratification society we got now, I think they’re hoping that everybody will get fussy and tired,” said Nuckols.
Temporary workers
While workers are on strike, ISU has brought in non-union temporary workers to cover their work.
For employees like Nuckols, those employees bring concern.
“I’m not all that thrilled about it because unless they planned this months in advance, they haven’t done any background check on anybody,” she said. “I don’t care if they’re not in the dorms or they’re just in the kitchens working, they’re still around the young people on campus and everybody should be looked at and checked out.”
For his own work, Stefanich is skeptical of how well temporary workers are doing.
“We have trained BSWs that have the proper equipment and the proper chemicals and know what the right ratios are for those chemicals to clean the bathrooms or waxing floors,” he said. “I don’t think the people they’re bringing in are as knowledgeable with that.”
Stefanich said there exists the possibility of sanitary issues.
“Well, if they’re using the wrong chemical or it might be too diluted,” he said. “There’s also a risk ... that they might be mixing chemicals and not knowing what chemical was already in it and they’re refilling it with, say, a different chemical.”
Nelson reiterated in the university’s statement that ISU leadership remains focused on negotiations and reaching a resolution.
“The University’s bargaining team remains willing to meet with the union bargaining team to continue efforts to resolve the remaining issues in bargaining. I remain especially appreciative of employees who are helping meet the needs of the campus community during this time. Cleaning and dining services, as well as grounds maintenance, continue across campus,” he said.
WGLT has reached out to ISU for more information about the temporary workers, including how many have been hired, their length of work, tasks they are covering and their rate of pay.
Strike to continue
With the failure to reach an agreement, AFSCME indicated the strike will continue, announcing on Facebook a march on Thursday to Hovey Hall and ISU president Aondover Tarhule’s office.
Nuckols said she will be there " and I hope [Tarhule] hears us all marching and yelling and cannot keep his mind on what he’s supposed to be doing. I hope he’s so distracted, he messes up constantly all day long.”
The same goes for Stefanich, who thinks the public is on the union’s side due to his duties monitoring the union’s local Facebook page.
“The community around Bloomington-Normal is very supportive of us,” he said. “A lot of students come here from Chicago suburbs, and they’re supportive of us and their parents, lot of the parents, are also supportive of us.”
In terms of other outside support, United Faculty ISU has repeatedly pledged support for AFSCME and several state and federal leaders have called on the university to negotiate a contract.
They include U.S. Reps. Eric Sorensen and Nikki Budzinski, State Sen. Dave Koehler and State Rep. Sharon Chung. All are Democrats, and all but Budzinski represent parts of Bloomington-Normal.
On the McLean County level, Vice Chair of the McLean County Board Jim Rogal and Normal Township Supervisor Krystle Able have pledged their support.
