04 Oct Get Informed, Get Involved
Setting the Record Straight on Campus Wage
If you’re a faculty member at UIC, you may have heard that the reason all faculty in our bargaining unit (union member or not) did not see a merit raise in their Notice of Appointment is because the union is negotiating our next contract.
I want to assure you that is not actually the case. This was the U of I administration’s choice, not UICUF’s. Labor law clearly allows for agreements on pay increases during contract negotiations, and the union would have been happy to consider such an interim agreement had one been presented.
I also want to assure you that UICUF will seek salary pools for merit as well as compression and equity in our new contract, and make sure raises are retroactive back to 8-16-18. However, we will not support any proposals that leave you with less earning potential than you had last year. To this end, we must point out that the 2% campus wage pool offered this year is downright insufficient when inflation is expected to be closer to 3%.
The Power of Participation
To ensure that U of I administration does the right thing, we are going to need to work together. Our Member Meeting Wednesday, October 10th, 3:30-5pm at Hull House, is a great opportunity to learn more about the negotiations, give input, and get involved. However, you must be a member to attend!
If you are not yet a member of the union, you can join by downloading an application, or you can complete one when you arrive at the Member Meeting. Members enjoy many benefits and privileges, including regular updates on the bargaining process as it unfolds and voting on the final contract.
If you are already a member, the easiest way to support the union is to wear your UIC United Faculty T-shirts and pins on bargaining days, and come to observe the bargaining sessions as your schedule allows (next one is Tuesday, 10/9, 12-3pm @SCE, White Oak Room). Please let our organizer, Jeff Edwards, know about your plans to attend by emailing him at UICUFJeff@gmail.com. You can get union gear at the Member Meeting or by sending us a request at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com. You are the union!
As contract negotiations unfold, I want to personally encourage you to be an active participant in our union, and the bargaining process. Everyone in our bargaining unit has a stake in these negotiations, and our strong membership is our greatest leverage at that table.
We look forward to seeing you at bargaining, and at the Member Meeting next Wednesday!
In Solidarity,
Janet Smith
President, UIC United Faculty
Fall Events
Tuesday, 10/9: Bargaining session #9. Wear your t-shirts and buttons on campus!
Wednesday, 10/10: Member Meeting, 3:30-5pm Hull House Dining Hall. Contract presentation by the Bargaining Team.
Tuesday, 10/23: Bargaining session #10. Wear your t-shirts and buttons on campus!
Wednesday, 11/7: Rep Assembly meeting 11-12:30pm, UH 2028. All members invited.
Thursday, 11/15: Board of Trustees meeting in Chicago.