Eastern’s chapter of University Professionals of Illinois will begin their strike on Thursday at 8 a.m. picketing with a rally at 11 a.m. in front of Old Main.

EIU-UPI have decided to strike after a membership meeting on Tuesday where a survey revealed 95 percent of members participating were in favor of striking this week.

The union strike follows an over year-long negotiation period for EIU-UPI’s next four-year contract. Negotiations first began on March 21, 2022 with the previous faculty contract ending on Aug. 31.

Since then, EIU-UPI has been working without a contract for almost the entire first fiscal year which is included in the new contract.

EIU-UPI’s negotiation team met with Eastern’s administrative team on Monday for an eight-hour long bargaining session, which ended in Eastern’s team ending the session around 5 p.m.

While Eastern raised its across the board, ATB, salary raise offers, they did not budge on workload pay proposals, according to EIU-UPI’s lead negotiator Billy Hung.

Over 185 union members participated in the membership survey on the options for a strike, according to Hung.

EIU-UPI will join the picket line at 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., hold a rally from 11 a.m. to noon and continue picketing from noon to 3 p.m.

The rally will have guests Cyndi Oberle-Dahm, the secretary and treasurer for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and John Miller, the president of UPI, present.

Jennifer Stringfellow, EIU-UPI’s president and a professor of special education, said deciding to strike was a difficult decision for the union.

“After our members saw the administration walk away from the table, we knew we had no choice but to move forward with a strike,” Stringfellow said. “We are still very far apart on key financial issues, including wage adjustment to catch up on lost wages and adjusting minimum salary so that no faculty teaching at EIU would make less than minimum wage. We offered to meet again today before our membership meeting, but administration refused to schedule another session to avert a strike.”

Stringfellow said Eastern gave retiring University President David Glassman a highest-paid faculty contract, but are not giving union faculty members fair wages.

“They managed to work out a deal for outgoing President Glassman to become the highest-paid professor on campus with the lightest course load,” Stringfellow said. “Yet they won’t give the faculty and staff who work closely with students every day adequate compensation, even as they ask us to take on more work. It simply doesn’t make sense. The overwhelming decision of our members to commit to a strike means we are now taking up the charge to fight for a better learning environment on our campus.”

Eastern students have shown support for EIU-UPI after initially learning they will begin striking on Thursday.

One student on Yik Yak, a social media app where people within a certain radius to you can post anonymously, wrote:

“STUDENT SIT-IN! If the faculty announces their strike on Thursday, we’re asking all students to join us outside of Old Main. DO NOT ATTEND CLASS WITH SUBSTITUTES. Up vote if you’re interested and want to stay posted.

Within nine hours after posting, 172 app users upvoted showing support in the union and for a student sit-in.

Provost, and soon-to-be Eastern’s 13th president, Jay Gatrell released an email to students asking students to report to department chairs if a professor or instructor is absent from a registered course. 

A GoFundMe was also started to support EIU-UPI members on Tuesday by Tyson Roan, the field service director for the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

“Faculty and academic support professionals at Eastern Illinois University have been bargaining for over a year and working without a contract since August 2022,” the GoFundMe page said. “In March, 97 percent of voting members authorized a strike for salary and workload improvements that will better support EIU students.”

The funds are listed to go towards supporting striking workers facing financial hardships, supplies needed to keep striking workers safe and water and food for striking workers and volunteers.

The GoFundMe’s fundraising goal is set to $10,000. Currently, four donations have been made within the first day totaling to $350.

Eastern is now the second Illinois university to go on strike within the first week of April.

Chicago State University’s chapter of UPI began their strike on Monday. On day two, they have yet to reach an agreement.

Governor State University may join the two universities with a union strike as well. Governor State’s UPI chapter filed their intent to strike allowing them to begin striking at the earliest on Friday.

At this time, Eastern has yet to comment on the strike announcement.

Madelyn Kidd can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].