UIS union faculty overwhelmingly vote to ratify 4-year labor contract
University of Illinois Springfield United Faculty members nearly unanimously ratified a four-year contract.
Voting closed earlier Wednesday, said UIS United Faculty president Kristi Barnwell. There was an over 80% turnout of the union's 134 members, with only one or two "no" votes, Barnwell verified, although numbers weren't finalized.
The proposed deal struck by UIS administration and representatives of UIS United Faculty extends to August 2025 and avoided a faculty walkout that could have come on the eve of final exams and commencement.
Faculty members had been working under terms of the previous agreement since Aug. 16.
"I feel good. I'm excited for this to go through the finalization process and be implemented," said Barnwell, an associate professor of history. "I feel like it was a strong contract and that we're going to be working towards meeting the needs of our faculty members and building a stronger campus."
Related: Ratification vote for UIS faculty contract goes through Wednesday. Here's what's at stake
According to information provided by Barnwell last week, the pay increase for union faculty members is 2% this year (retroactive to August), 3.5% in 2022-23, 3% in 2023-24 and 2% in 2024-25.
Union members had filed a strike authorization on April 21 and could have gone out as early as May 2. The deal was hammered out on April 30.
The only other time UIS union faculty went to the picket line was in 2017.
This story will be updated.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: University of Illinois Springfield faculty members OK 4-year contract
