Faculty in Illinois take ‘hot labor summer’ into fall

In a huge win for public higher education and the labor movement in Illinois, 650 tenured and tenure-track faculty at Illinois State University filed authorization/membership cards Oct. 4 with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, expressing their intent to unionize.

“It’s a really exciting moment for us,” says Xiaoying Zhao, ISU assistant professor of teaching and learning. “We have taken the necessary steps to formalize our union and send a clear message that the faculty at ISU want a strong voice to advocate for the needs of our students, this institution and our colleagues who are dedicated to them both.”

United Faculty of ISU officially launched a unionization effort in August. In just weeks, an overwhelming majority of faculty signed cards to say, “Union, yes!”

“Right away, my colleagues and I recognized that joining a union is the best way to ensure safe, fair and equitable working conditions for ourselves and a stronger university for everyone,” says Dave Kopsell, ISU professor of agriculture. “By filing cards … we are showing our resolve to wield collective power as faculty to help our students learn, our educators teach and the entire community thrive.”

UFISU is expected to be certified as a union by December. Upon certification, the 650 professors will officially become a chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois, Local 4100, which is affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors.

“We are so proud that ISU’s outstanding faculty have chosen to join the University Professionals of Illinois,” says UPI President John Miller. “As part of our family of nearly 3,000 higher education professionals and staff, ISU’s dedicated educators will have a powerful voice to help build a stronger university and elevate the needs of students, workers and public higher education across Illinois.”

“Our members around the state are excited to welcome the incredible faculty at ISU to our union of professionals,” says IFT President Dan Montgomery. “Fall may be here, but it is great to see that the ‘hot labor summer’ is continuing in Illinois. Like so many thousands of working people have done in recent months, these dedicated faculty are standing up for fairness, equity and excellence by forming a member-driven union. ISU is an important part of Illinois' higher education system, and this faculty unionization will make it an even stronger university for its students and our state. The IFT looks forward to continuing to support UFISU’s collective efforts every step of the way.”

According to its website, the members of UFISU “aim to:

• “Ensure all faculty have the resources and support they need to be successful in teaching, research, and creative activities, including safe, clean, and up-to-date working and learning spaces;
• “Advance genuine inclusion, access, and equity for all faculty;
• “Ensure all faculty receive fair wages and consistent raises that adequately value and compensate workload in teaching, scholarly and creative productivity, and service, while addressing cost of living, compression, inversion, and equity considerations;
• “Work with Academic Senate to improve shared governance, administrative transparency, and due process at ISU;
• “Advocate for mental health, wellness, and student support services that will enable all students to learn and thrive in our classrooms;
• “Work collaboratively with other groups to uphold the common mission of making ISU a great place to work and learn.”

“The Illinois State faculty joined together to win a seat at the table to secure the wages, conditions and voice they need for their students to thrive,” says AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Higher ed workers across the country understand it’s only through the collective clout a union brings that their voices are heard and issues addressed. They know they are stronger together than they could ever be alone. The more faculty who organize, the more opportunity is unlocked and the more families have access to the middle class. That’s why, as temperatures start to fall, the ‘hot labor summer’ rolls on.”

“I am delighted to welcome my incredible faculty colleagues at Illinois State University to the growing academic labor movement that is transforming higher education in America,” says AAUP President Irene Mulvey. “The strong collective voice of unionized faculty at ISU will create a more just and equitable campus and ensure that the core academic mission is prioritized.”

The AFT and the AAUP, the largest and fastest-growing combined national higher education union, with more than 300,000 members, have organized several new units this year, including at Miami University in Ohio and the Maryland community college system.

[Virginia Myers]