18 Oct Step Up
If you’re a faculty member at UIC, your union needs you! We are currently engaged in increasingly tough negotiations over our next contract, and the strength and involvement of our membership will be a decisive factor in achieving success in those negotiations.
To remind folks what’s at stake, U of I Administration has yet to agree to anything not already in our previous contract, despite 4 months of negotiation, 9 rounds of meetings, and the presentation of 16 proposals that would cost them little or nothing to implement. We have no reason to believe they’ll give proposals for long-awaited pay raises a more favorable reception.
Since the Administration has clearly signaled that they have no intention of engaging in constructive discussion, it seems that further action will be necessary to reach an agreement that addresses faculty concerns. Here are a few ways you can get involved in the coming weeks and months, to help us push for a contract that improves working and learning conditions at UIC AND keeps faculty financially secure in the face of rising inflation and local costs-of-living.
JOIN THE UNION
It’s an obvious one, but if you’re not a union member, joining the union is the first step toward helping us build power, and leverage toward a better contract. Every new member is a reminder to the Administration that our bargaining team represents a unified faculty. 2/3rds of all eligible faculty are already members, and joining is easy. Visit our membership page now to complete an application!
STAY INFORMED
Knowledge is power, and we try to keep our members as informed as possible about union activities. In addition to our regular updates here on the website, members receive weekly email updates, and you can get even more timely info about union activities by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
SHOW YOUR COLORS
Every bargaining day is an opportunity to show your solidarity by wearing your union colors. Let your colleagues, and U of I Administration, know that you support your bargaining team with a strong showing of your union blues. Members can request free t-shirts and pins if you don’t already have them, by emailing us at UICUnitedfaculty@gmail.com.
PRIORITIZE
We periodically issue surveys to learn more about our members’ priorities. A bargaining priority survey is live RIGHT NOW, and if you’re a member, you should take 3 minutes to complete it. If you did not receive a link to the survey via email, contact us at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com for a new one.
SHOW UP
Attending events and actions is particularly important as a way of showing Administration that we can’t be railroaded in negotiations, or taken for granted. We currently have 3 major events on the calendar, and certainly more to come. RSVP to UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com if you can attend:
Tuesday, 10/23, 2-5pm: Bargaining session #10 @Student Center East, Rm 613
Monday, 11/5, 2-5pm: Bargaining Session #11 @TBD
Thursday, 11/15, 9-11am: Board of Trustees Meeting @Student Center West
VOLUNTEER
Running a union that’s responsive to members and effective in engaging university administration takes a lot of work, but many hands makes that work much easier! Serving on a committee, acting as a communicator for your department, or running for an elected position are all great ways to make our union more effective. If you want to learn more about volunteer opportunities, let us know at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com.
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As contract negotiations unfold, we 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.
