We began the session by submitting our counter on Article IV: Union Membership and Activity and Article IX: Benefits and Leaves. We answered any initial questions the Administration’s Bargaining Team had, then broke into our respective caucuses so they could form their counter.

When we reconvened, they let us know they needed more time to arrive at a counter for Article IX, but they did present their counter to Article IV: Union Membership and Activity.

We are encouraged by their counter, as they did make clear movement. There are a few places where more work is needed, but it seems like we are close to settling this article.

Next session, we will hear their counter to Article IX: Benefits and Leaves. In Article IX, we are fighting for things like:

• Library access for retirees
• Timely notice when health insurance ends
• Relief from the tripling of health insurance premiums for members whose appointments drop below 100%

If these are issues you care about, contact our Lead Negotiator, Kay Emmert, ake153[@]hotmail.com.

And remember, all members are invited to see bargaining first-hand, hear the administration’s stance, and make sure we’re representing your interests.  

Next Session:

Friday, April 19th

9:00am – 12:00pm

Illinois Fire Service Institute (Digital signs within the building will alert you to the room.)

We began the session encouraged that the Administration’s Bargaining Team brought a full counter response. This means we are able to get down to serious bargaining sooner. We were also encouraged that they stated that this was their initial response, but there was room for movement.

Unfortunately, their counter offer provided minimal substantive response to our concerns, in fact addressing only 1 concern: notifying faculty when their health insurance will end. All of our other concerns were rejected outright.

Among the concerns they rejected–

• Asking units to define full-time workloads so when faculty are asked to do extra work, it’s clear they should receive extra compensation.
• Any pay increases, they instead want the full power to decide later if and when faculty receive raises and how much. 
• Multi-year contracts for the professorial track. 
• Any professional development funds.

Throughout, they expressed their desire to leave solutions to these problems up to individual faculty members. However, that does not protect individual faculty from abuses, and ignores the reason we created this union in the first place: members fighting for consistent protections and better working conditions for everyone. 

We hope to see more specific responses to our concerns in future sessions. For next session, both sides agreed to begin work on the articles where we see the most common ground: Article IV: Union Membership and Activity and Article IX: Benefits and Leaves.

Come hear for yourself why they rejected our proposal for items like retired faculty access to the library system.

All members are invited to see bargaining first-hand, hear the administration’s stance, and make sure we’re representing your interests.  

Next Session:

Friday, April 12th

9:00am – 12:00pm

Illinois Fire Service Institute (Digital signs within the building will alert you to the room.)

The meeting began on a positive note, with their bargaining team remarking on their appreciation of our work on the proposal we delivered on March 8^th.  They also voiced the shared goal of wanting the bargaining process to move quickly. 

They did not, however, come with a comprehensive response.

The good news is that they have said they are not proposing any changes to the current contract. However, if we are going to move quickly, we need to have their comprehensive response.  To help them arrive at one, we are meeting on Monday, April 1st to answer any questions they might have as they construct their comprehensive response. 

Next Meeting: Monday, April 1st. Illinois Fire Service Service Institute Auditorium. 9:00am – 12:00pm