April 28, 2016 — On its first day of a strike that might last as long as five days, members of the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition, NTFC Local #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign walked out of their classes, offices and labs to protest the continued stalling of the University Administration in the bargaining room. Most members joined the lively picket lines at various building on the University’s main quad, chanting and singing in support of their union’s bargaining demands.

Numerous community members also joined the picket lines, from undergraduate students to tenured professors and community members unaffiliated with the University. There was broad consensus among students that NTT faculty deserve better job security. “It’s ridiculous that faculty don’t know if they have a job until just before the beginning of the academic year,” declared Katie Sreenan, a graduating senior in the college of LAS. “My landlord requires that I commit to a twelve-month lease, many months before I actually move in. Why can’t the University even commit to twelve months of employment for these professors well in advance?” asked Zain al-Khalil, a freshman in LAS.” Tyler Camp, incoming president of the Campus Union for Transgender Equality emphasized how the solidarity with the striking faculty members was motivated by the expectation that NTT faculty members would be there for the students for many years to come. “We can’t rely on getting a good education, unless faculty have some stability,” Camp said.

NTFC Local #6546 will continue the strike tomorrow, April 29 with picket lines around the English Building from 8 am to 5 pm with a rally scheduled for the noon-hour. While members and their supporters picket at the University, the union negotiating team will be at mediated bargaining from 8:30 am to 1 pm At the Illinois Fire Services Institute, 11 Gerty Drive, Champaign.

Union leaders emphasize that they are ready to bargain with the university administration at any time and that they remain committed to reaching a collective bargaining agreement as soon as possible. Multi-year contracts for long time faculty members, appointment and reappointment rights as well as protection of academic freedom remain core demands of the union.

Media Contact:

Shawn Gilmore, President NTFC Local #6546 (217) 778 2925

Dorothee Schneider, Communications Chair (217) 390 8725

Press Release – Apr 18, 2016 — Hundreds of non-tenure track faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will walk out of their labs and classrooms for two days beginning Tuesday morning, April 19, to protest the University’s refusal to negotiate on key provisions of a labor contract. The teachers and researchers, members of the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition (NTFC),  Local #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP, are asking for improved employment security, opportunities for promotion and professional support, and the protection of academic freedom for non-tenure-track faculty members. The union, certified in July 2014, has been negotiating its first contract since October 2014.

“This is a fight to force the administration to recognize the valuable work that non-tenure-track faculty have done at the University of Illinois for decades–work that needs to be supported through a union contract,” stated Union President Shawn Gilmore, a lecturer in the English Department.

Dennis Dullea, a senior instructor in English, and Vice-President of NTFC Local #6546, added, “Currently most of our members exist on temporary, nine-month contracts. Many of us have been ‘temporary’ faculty for over twenty years! It’s time to prioritize our students’ learning experience. Multi-year contracts mean faculty are able to focus on teaching and preparing their courses rather than on wondering if they will have a job in the fall.  These contracts will bring stability to the faculty, to our students, and to the campus community at large.”

After more than eighteen months of attempting to resolve these issues at the bargaining table, the union has decided that a strike is necessary.  “Our door is always open,” said lead negotiator Kay Emmert, “but after twenty-nine negotiating sessions, with little to show for our efforts, our members are telling the administration: Enough is enough!”

“We have continually tried to negotiate a contract that would support our work as educators,” said Christina De Angelo, instructor in Spanish and Portuguese and chair of the NTFC Strike Committee. “Having a fair evaluation system in our contract would allow us to expand our teaching strengths to make sure that all of our students receive the quality education they deserve. We say ‘Education First,’ and the administration’s only response is ‘No’. Their constant refusal to act on these important issues has forced us to take these steps and to demonstrate how serious we are about improving campus life at UIUC.”

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said that the UIUC problems mirror what’s happening on campuses nationwide.

“Across the country, universities are increasingly relying on contingent faculty, but these dedicated educators aren’t being treated fairly. That’s why educators are coming together—from Chicago to Portland [Ore.] to Philadelphia—to demand fairness,” Weingarten said. “At UIUC, non-tenure faculty teach nearly 40 percent of all undergraduate courses, yet they have no guarantee of stable employment year-to-year, no vote on department governance and no evaluations to help them measure or improve their teaching. They want UIUC to remain a place where students receive a high-quality public higher education, but that will only happen with a fair contract.”

Striking faculty will maintain a picket line around the English Building (608 S. Wright Street, Urbana) during working hours.  The strikers and their supporters will assemble for a rally at noon on the East Side of the English Building each day. Union leaders from around the country will address the strikers and their supporters on both April 19^th and 20^th at 5 pm in front of the Swanlund Administration Building (601 E. John St., Champaign). The union will also hold rallies on the East side of the English Building at noon on both days.

NTFC Local #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP represents approximately 500 full-time teaching, research, and clinical faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Media Contact:

• Shawn Gilmore (217) 778-2925
• Dorothee Schneider, (217) 390-8725, dorothee.schneider@gmail.com
• Dennis Dullea (217) 419-5082

Contact persons will be available on the picket line, on the East Side of the English Building at 608 S. Wright St.

Website: www.local6546.org

Facebook: NTFC Local 6546

Download this Press Release (.docx)

The Good Enough Professor gives her take on the upcoming strike vote. ::

Pushing for collective bargaining concessions when the state budget is in free-fall and other public institutions are preparing to be mothballed is insane.  Right? There’s a part of this that’s even crazier, though: it’s not about the money.

Read the rest here.