May 5, 2015 —

For immediate release:

By an overwhelming majority, the members of the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition (NTFC) Local #6546 ratified its first ever contract with the University of Illinois administration on Thursday, May 5th. The five-year contract, which runs until August 2019, covers all full-time clinical, teaching and research faculty on the U of I main campus, except those affiliated with its Law, Veterinary and Medical Schools.

The contract provides NTT faculty with three month advance notice rights, prior to the beginning of the semester and gives long term faculty at least one year of extra job security beyond the duration of their current one year contract.   Participation in the Compression, Market, Equity and Retention program (CMER) formerly limited to tenure track faculty, and basic protection of academic freedom are also part of the agreement. In addition, the contract contains provisions that will regularize NTT participation in faculty governance in the coming years.

Shawn Gilmore, President of NTFC, stated “I’m incredibly pleased that our members fought for and have now ratified a contract that will stabilize the working lives of non-tenure-track faculty at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. With the support of our partner unions, as well as faculty and students from throughout the campus community and beyond, our union has been able to settle a contract that will ensure that these faculty members have the kind of long-term support they deserve.”

NTFC Local #6546 was certified by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board in July of 2014 and began contract negotiations in October of that year. After eighteen months of meetings with very little result, union members went on a two-day strike on April 19 and 20^th.   The labor agreement was reached late on April 30, after NTFC members and their many supporters had walked out a second time, a week after the first strike.

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— Message from Shawn Gilmore, May 1, 2016 —

Friends and Colleagues:

Today, we unanimously voted to suspend work actions and return to our classrooms and labs. With today’s vote, we are moving forward with the ratification of the contract. The full tentatively agreed upon contract will be sent to you tomorrow; an overview can be viewed here.

On Thursday (May 5), we will be voting on the ratification, details on this will be in tomorrow’smessage. Also on Thursday, we will be holding our traditional office hours and grading in the Illini Union Courtyard Café. Between 10 and 2,  come out and enjoy the end of the semester with your colleagues.

In solidarity,

Shawn Gilmore

Members of UIUC Faculty Union Vote to Suspend Strike

May 1, 2016 — In a unanimous vote members of the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition, Local #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP decided on Sunday afternoon to suspend all strike activity on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. All union members as well as interim Chancellor Barb Wilson and interim Provost Edward Feser were immediately informed of this decision. Classes are expected to resume their normal schedule on Monday.

In the very well attended meeting that preceded the vote, the Union leaders explained the outlines of a tentative agreement signed on Saturday night between the negotiators of the Union and the University administration. Details of the five-year contract, will be shared with all members in the coming days. A ratification vote is scheduled for Thursday, May 5.

Media contact:

Dorothee Schneider, Communications Chair, NTFC (217) 390 8725 dorothee.schneider@gmail.com

Shawn Gilmore, President, NTFC, shawngilmore@gmail.com

May 1, 2016 —

One day after non-tenure-track faculty union members reached a tentative contract agreement contract with the University of Illinois, they voted unanimously Sunday to call off their 2-day-old strike.

{ Link to News-Gazette Article }