After months of bargaining and a work stoppage last month, faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago have voted to accept a new four year contract.
The faculty union said the highlights include $60,000 minimums for the lowest paid faculty at the university and a commitment from university management to improve campus resources for students in both mental and emotional wellness and psychoeducational testing.
The contract guarantees an average raise pool of 5% each year of the contract which will be distributed to faculty based on performance and wage compression
It applies to all 1,500 members of the tenure and non-tenure bargaining units at UIC. Out of the 63% of the union members who voted, the union said over 99% voted yes.
“We are proud of this contract,” said Aaron Krall, president of UIC UNited Faculty. “We fought hard to achieve these goals, and the support we received from students and local leaders kept us going. This contract represents real growth for the campus community.”
Faculty went on strike for four days in January at the start of the semester. That followed nine months of bargaining without a deal.
The new contract is retroactive to August 16th, 2022, when the last contract expired. This contract will expire August 16th, 2026.
