14 Jan Demand That Admin Honor Their Contractual Commitments
- Welcome Back: 2020 presented a seemingly unending series of challenges, and since we’re eager to move forward with the new year, we plan to hit the ground running in 2021.
- Keep Admin Honest: It’s a busy time, but you can take action right now by signing our petition to keep admin honest about honoring contractually agreed pay raises and hazard pay for our union colleagues at the hospital.
- Office Hours Resume: We will resume holding virtual union office hours this week after having many good conversations at the end of last semester. As a reminder, drop in via zoom any Wednesday or Thursday, 12-1pm, to speak with union staff on any topic!
Dear Faculty,
We hope you’ve enjoyed your winter holidays, and we’re guessing you are as happy to put the last year behind you as we are! And yet, there is still so much work left to do, to protect ourselves and our loved ones amidst an ongoing pandemic, to press forward on critical issues of social and racial justice, and to ensure that “recovery” does not merely mean returning to a broken system that leaves so many of us exposed to unmitigated illness and poverty.
Demand Contract Accountability
We hope you’ll take immediate action by signing our petition demanding accountability from our administration on behalf of our union colleagues at the hospital. Last year, an historic strike of health workers, including nurses and support staff, forced the administration to finally agree to pay raises, hiring up to safe staffing levels, and initiating hazard pay should crisis conditions return. While union workers went back on the job in September, the administration hasn’t completely upheld their side of the bargain. In particular, pay raises remain in limbo, with no clear timeline for implementation, and though the state shifted from Phase 4 back to Phase 3 in response to surging COVID cases, the hospital refuses to implement promised hazard pay for workers — something it did in the Spring when conditions were not as severe.
In collaboration with our partners in SEIU and INA, the unions representing hospital staff and nurses respectively, we are demanding that Chancellor Amiridis honor the contract commitments made by this administration. Please join us in signing and sharing the petition above, to keep UIC accountable to their promises!
Office Hours Resume This Week
As a reminder, we have resumed our virtual union office hours, which proved immediately useful last semester despite rolling out just a couple of weeks before the winter holiday. You can drop in any Wednesday or Thursday from 12-1pm to speak directly with union staff about any topic important to you. Office hours are never recorded, and your confidentiality is our priority, especially if you need to discuss a sensitive or personal issue. You can, of course, always email us at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com if you wish to speak with a representative outside of office hours, and our staff will make every effort to respond within one working day.
Thank you all for your ongoing support, and for helping us make UIC an even better, even safer, place to work and learn!
Solidarity,
UIC United Faculty
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We hold regular office hours from 12-1pm Wednesday and Thursday each week. Use the following links to add them to your calendar:
Wednesday 12-1pm | Thursday 12-1pm
We issue regular updates via email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and on our website. We encourage everyone to like and follow us on social media. If you want to contribute your story, pictures, video, or other content related to the activities of the union, email us at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com. With your support, we are making UIC an even SAFER place to work and learn!
