University of Illinois Springfield, faculty reach agreement, avert possible strike

Zach Roth, State Journal-Register
·2 min read

The University of Illinois Springfield and its faculty union, UIS United Faculty, have reached a tentative deal on a new four-year contract.

The university and union announced the agreement Saturday afternoon following a nine-month stalemate after the prior collective bargaining agreement expired last August. The new deal is backdated to Aug. 16 and will expire Aug. 16, 2025.

After a lengthy session on Friday, the two sides re-engaged Saturday just before noon before a deal was announced.

Faculty members had set Monday as a potential strike date last week after they saw little progress to date on the new contract.

UIS United Faculty represents about 130 members and is part of University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100.

More: Voting UIS faculty members express 'no confidence' in provost

Separately, the Coalition of Concerned Professors, a group of UIS tenured and tenure-track faculty, had approved a declaration of "no confidence" Thursday for provost and vice chancellor Dennis Papini, citing mismanagement of enrollment and faculty resources in addition to creating a "toxic" campus climate.

United Faculty had asked for salary increases and more manageable workloads, with the university seeking to try and find a balance between compensating faculty with keeping the university in sound financial order.

The last time faculty at UIS went on strike was in 2017, just two years after the union organized. The two sides reached a tentative agreement after five days.

In a statement, the two sides said that they were committed to working together on meeting the university's goals and mission.

"We look forward to continuing to work together to fulfill our university’s mission to provide a uniquely student-centered educational experience both in and out of the classroom through active learning, meaningful research and impactful civic engagement that prepares graduates to contribute fully to society," the release said.

Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor at the University of Illinois Springfield Ryan Williams wears a union button on his cap during a rally held by the UIS teacher's union for a new contract Thursday March 31, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/ The State Journal-Register]
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor at the University of Illinois Springfield Ryan Williams wears a union button on his cap during a rally held by the UIS teacher's union for a new contract Thursday March 31, 2022. [Thomas J. Turney/ The State Journal-Register]

Kristi Barnwell, an associate professor of history at UIS, said Saturday a date for ratification of the tentative agreement hasn't been set.

Contact Zach Roth: (217) 899-4338; ZDRoth@gannett.com; @ZacharyRoth13

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: University of Illinois Springfield, faculty reach contract agreement