On Wednesday, Western Illinois University’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois vote to authorize a strike.

The vote passed with “high turnout and an overwhelming majority,” according to a post on UPI Local 4100 WIU chapter’s Facebook Page.

According to Tri States Public Radio, Western’s chapter of the UPI has more than 600 members, made up of mostly faculty. Western’s UPI has been negotiating with the university administration on a new contract for more than a year and a half.

For seven months, these negotiations have involved a federal mediator.

In a statement, Western’s UPI president William Thompson said the union’s goal with contract negotiations is to move the university forward while “allowing it to retain and attract quality faculty and academic support professionals.”

“Unfortunately, management is not yet on board with this plan, so we decided to have this vote to allow the bargaining team to call a strike if management continues not to listen to our united voice,” Thompson said in the statement.

In the spring of 2016, the UPI deferred a previously negotiated 3 percent salary increases, which led to a $3.2 million give back to Western from members.

“We additionally gave up a 1 percent raise (worth $470,000 a year),” Thompson said. “We aren’t asking for the world, but the university can afford to give us a reasonable contract that will allow us to keep and retain the high quality faculty and staff that will provide a better future for all of us and make Western Illinois University, the right choice for our students.”

On Tuesday before the authorization, per The Dispatch Argus, Western Illinois University’s spokeswoman Darcie Shinberger released a statement from Russ Morgan, Western Illinois’ associate provost and contract administrator, urging faculty “to vote against an authorization to strike, remain in the classroom and remain committed to our students.”

“Our students have entrusted their education to Western Illinois University,” the statement read. “With approximately four weeks remaining in the spring 2018 semester, we need to live up to our commitment to our students,” Morgan’s statement said. “The administration’s goal from the beginning has been to reach a sustainable and fiscally responsible agreement with UPI Local 4100.” The Tri States Public Radio said passage of the authorization vote does not automatically mean there will be a strike. Instead, it allows union leadership to call for one any time after a period of 10 calendar days.

The Western Illinois University’s chapter of the UPI and the university’s administration’s next mediation session is scheduled for Monday.

The Tri States Public Radio reports that “the two sides remain divided on a number of issues, including proposed salary cuts and changes to the salary minima structure.”

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