By Shawn Gilmore, NTFC President :: Apr 21, 2017 :: Colleagues —

Nearing the end of the semester, and NTFC Local #6546 is wrapping up some of its projects for the semester.

Yesterday, faculty, students, and staff from universities across the state converged on Springfield to Teach Out (sponsored by UPI/IFT), speaking to the budget impact in it many varieties. While not many NTFC faculty were able to make it, members of the UIUC community were there, and you can see some photos of the event here.

New week, we have a lot going on. On Monday, May Day, we are co-sponsoring a noon rally on the patio south of the Illini Union, with speakers from a variety of unions and social groups (event page). On Reading Day, May 4, we will hold our end-of-semester Work In at the Illini Union, from 10am-2pm (link). This recurring event gives our members a chance to reconnect and show the work that they do in public. We’re happy to welcome our solidarity partners as well, so if you have work to do (particularly those in CFA and GEO), or if you want to come by over the lunch break for conversation with fellow unionists (SEIU, AFSCME, and others), you are most welcome!

We also will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of the ratification of our first collective bargaining agreement, on Friday, May 5, starting at 4:30pm, at Quality, in downtown Champaign (link). All friends and family of union are welcome–bring a dish, bring yourself, bring your solidarity.

Finally, we held a series of officer elections, and at the end of next week, I’ll turn this update and officer duties over to our incoming President. We are in very good hands, and some officers are returning in new roles.

Later on today, our regulars will be out for our weekly Happy Hour today, at or around 5pm, at our normal location, Quality Bar, in downtown Champaign. Come on out if you’re local to celebrate the end of the week!

In solidarity