NTFC Local 6546 AFT / IFT

Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition, University of Illinois

Statement of Solidarity with the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU Local #73 Chicago

We, the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP, stand in solidarity with the 25,000 members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the 7,000 members of Service Employees International Union Local 73, public-support staff, in their contract negotiations with the new Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago School Board. We stand in solidarity with their just demands for: 

● Smaller class sizes 

● Sustainable community schools with full wrap around services 

● Access to a broad and diverse curriculum including art, music, world languages, computer literacy, and physical education 

● Fully-staffed libraries in all schools 

● Hiring of hundreds more social workers, school nurses, counselors, therapists, psychologists, special education aides and thousands of teachers in order to fully support students 

● Educator-directed, not principal-directed prep time 

● Adequate compensation with no increase in benefit costs

In 2012, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) struck for seven days and won a victory against then-Mayor Rahm Emmanuel. Educators went out again for a one-day strike in 2016. These strikes were a precursor to the victorious wave of Red State educator strikes that swept through West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona in 2018. 

Since then, educator strikes of various lengths erupted in Los Angeles, Oakland, Denver, Washington State and even charter school educators, members of the CTU, in Chicago, UTLA in Los Angeles and OFT in Parma, Ohio. A victory in this current struggle for educators in Chicago could help build towards the next wave of educator and other strikes in the U.S. In fact, there’s little doubt the current strike by almost 50,000 at General Motors were inspired by all the educator strikes. We believe it’s in the interests of not just educators, but all workers around the U.S. to show solidarity with Chicago educators. 

During her election campaign, Mayor Lightfoot agreed with many of the educators’ criticisms of what needed to be changed in the Chicago Public Schools. However, once elected, her promises to both the CTU and SEIU Local 73 have yet to result in any meaningful contract language. Mayor Lightfoot says she doesn’t respond to pressure, but the entire history of the labor movement up through the most recent Red State strikes have made similar claims from those in positions of power ring hollow time and time again. 

The CTU and SEIU Local 73 are standing up for the children of Chicago, for all unions and working-class people, in this time of budget cutting, union busting and devastating assaults on our living standards. These unions are fighting for the kind of schools our students, parents, educators, and communities deserve. Therefore, we, the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP, stand in solidarity with the Chicago Teachers Union and Service Employees International Union Local 73 in their fight to negotiate a contract that addresses all of their issues with Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Board of Education. 

In Solidarity, 

The Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition, Local #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP 

Statements of Solidarity with the Blue Ridge Federation of Teachers

We, the Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP, express our full solidarity with the Blue Ridge Federation of Teachers (BRFT) #3350 AFT/IFT/AFL-CIO as they struggle for a fair contract with the Blue Ridge School Board. We call on the Blue Ridge School Board to negotiate a fair contract in good faith with the members of BRFT. 

The members of the BRFT face high turnover rates for teachers in their community, are underpaid, and receive inadequate benefits for their labor. They have been collectively bargaining for several months with the school board to try to improve the conditions of their labor and the conditions of education for the students at Blue Ridge. Their last contract expired in June, meaning that BRFT represented employees have been working without a contract for over three and a half months. Recently, BRFT had to call for a federal mediator to assist in the negotiations. Now, with negotiations still stalling, BRFT members may be forced to strike at the end of October.   

BRFT represents over 110 teachers, aides, secretaries, drivers, library clerks, cooks, nurses and custodians.  The work done by BRFT employees is invaluable to the mission of education at Blue Ridge. We call on the Blue Ridge School Board to bargain in good faith with BRFT.

In Solidarity,

Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition #6546 AFT/IFT/AAUP


NTFC’s 3rd Annual School Supplies Drive

We are happy to announce that NTFC will again be collecting school supplies this fall to be donated to Wiley Elementary and the Urbana Adult Education Center. Supplies can either be donated at the NTFC Office or dropped off at our Reading Day Work-In on December 12th, 2019, at the Illini Union. NTFC will match 1 for 1 on all supplies collected.


All Members Meeting

Our first All Members Meeting is coming up fast!

Twice per year, the All NTFC Members meet to determine the actions and shape of our union. This is your chance to have a voice in how we structure dues, amend our constitution, and so much more. Be there to make certain that NTFC serves and represents you.

Light dinner will be provided! Feel free to come and go as needed.

Afterwards, there will also be time to talk to your stewards or members of your executive council if you have specific questions that you need to ask.

The Agenda is as Follows:

  1. Light Dinner and Fellowship
  2. President’s overview of the union
  3. Secretary’s report on membership
  4. Treasurer’s report on finances, including additional professional development funds
  5. Head Steward’s report on Fall organizing drive and continued organizing efforts
  6. All Members discussion of current dues structure
  7. All Members discussion of salary adjustments
  8. All Members feedback on departments defining workloads and expectations
  9. All Members school supplies drive launch (flyer attached, more information to come)


Welcome Back Party

Saturday, September 14th, join us for our Welcome Back Party at Hessel Park in Champaign from 4-7pm! We will be celebrating the beginning of the new academic year, our new contract, and the end of our organizing drive. Dinner and games will be provided. This will be a family friendly event.

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