Teen hit by train transported to St. Louis, condition improves

A 19-year-old male was struck by a moving train Saturday in Carbondale around 2:50 a.m. while attempting to jump onto the train, according to a Carbondale police report.

Michael Assefa, of Frankfort, was first brought to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale but was later taken to St. Louis with life-threatening injuries. He is not a SIUC student.

Assefa’s condition has improved and he is now speaking, said the Rev. Robert Gray, Carbondale Police Department’s…

Saluki running back could leave for NFL

Saluki running back Jewel Hampton will test the waters of the NFL.

Hampton signed on to train with the St. Vincent Sports Performance facility with 14 other potential draftees, according to a press release from the facility.

“This facility only trains pre-draft guys. They don’t train sophomores in a group like this,” collegiate football scout Josh Buchanan said. “They’re not going to put a guy who’s a (redshirt junior) in college,…

Four unions ratify contracts

The Faculty Association was the last of the four Illinois Education Association unions to ratify their contract that will end in June 2014.

The union membership approved the contract Wednesday after the Departmental Representatives Council unanimously approved it Nov. 17.

“While we are disappointed that it took 16 months of negotiations and a strike to reach this agreement, the agreement will help us defend academic freedom, shared governance and academic priorities…

Association of Civil Service Employees approves contract

Members of the Association of Civil Service Employees voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve the contract.

The union has been negotiating terms of the new contract since June 2010 when the previous contract ended. Early Nov. 3, after 27 hours of bargaining, the union and administration bargaining teams signed a tentative agreement.

ACSE president Cyndi Kessler-Criswell said the full contract will be available on the union’s website tonight.

Faculty, administration sign tentative agreement

The Faculty Association signed a tentative contract agreement with the university’s bargaining team Monday afternoon.

Dave Johnson, FA spokesman, said the agreement has to be ratified by the membership and the Board of Trustees.

Johnson announced Wednesday the union called off the strike that lasted seven days because the two sides were close enough to an agreement.

The three Illinois Education Association unions that did not strike will vote on their tentative…

Strike is over

Faculty will return to work Thursday after the union’s Departmental Representatives Council voted Wednesday to end the strike.

The agreement ends a weeklong strike by members of the Faculty Association, which represents the university’s tenured and tenure-track faculty.

Dave Johnson, FA spokesman, said the bargaining teams are separated on a few minor issues and they will continue to negotiate them in the morning but they decided to call off the strike.

The…

Faculty, administration to resume bargaining in the morning

The administration and Faculty Association did not reach a contract agreement and after 12 hours of negotiations the administration left the bargaining table at around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.

In an email to students, faculty and staff Chancellor Rita Cheng said both teams agreed to resume negotiations at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“Despite efforts to find a tentative mutual agreement on all items, no tentative agreement was reached,” she said in the email.

Faculty, administration to resume bargaining Tuesday morning

Faculty members will continue to strike Tuesday, according to a Faculty Association press release.

The press release posted on a union blog stated the administration presented the FA with a revised proposal around 5 p.m. and said they will resume negotiations Tuesday morning.

Dave Johsnon, spokesman for the FA, said the union will work through the night to prepare for the early morning negotiations.

“While we will seriously consider the board team’s…

FA, administration negotiations continue after 19 hours of bargaining

The Faculty Association and administration’s bargaining teams spent the night at the bargaining table as negotiations continue.

FA President Randy Hughes said nobody will leave the bargaining table until an agreement is reached.

Today is day four of the union’s strike.

A smaller group of pickets have been seen today at campus entrances as well as outside the Student Center.

Replacement professors continue to teach the classes in which professors are striking.

Dave Johnson,…

Faculty union, administration to meet with federal mediator

The bargaining teams for the Faculty Association and the administration will meet today at 3 p.m. at the Student Center with a federal mediator to continue contract negotiations.

The teams have not met since Wednesday when bargaining went late into the evening because an agreement was not reached. Tenure and tenure-track faculty members have been on strike since early Thursday morning.

Dave Johnson, spokesman for the FA, said the union hopes…

Students report business not as usual

The effect of a strike by tenured and tenure-track faculty could be seen in half-empty classrooms Thursday.

Civil Service union sets strike date

Civil Service employees will strike in two weeks if no tentative agreement is reached.

Read more here.

Non-Tenure Track union approves strike

Non-tenure track faculty can now go on strike tomorrow as a result from the vote Wednesday.

Anita Stoner, president of the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association and visiting assistant professor in the School of Journalism, said 83 percent of the eligible voters – dues-paying members – approved the ballot.

The ballot asked whether or not the members would authorize the association’s House of Delegates to set a strike date if there was…

Salukis get burned in final seconds at WIU

The Salukis had another dramatic final-minute finish…

Graduate Assistants United approves strike authorization vote

Graduate assistants can now strike on or after Oct. 6.

Of the 88 percent of eligible dues-paying members who voted whether or not to give authorization to the union’s bargaining team to set a strike date if no significant progress is made in bargaining, 97 percent voted yes.

Kristi Brownfield, vice president of communications for the GAU, said this is a message to the university that contract negotiations have gone too…

Faculty Association approves authorization strike vote

Faculty members represented by the Faculty Association – tenure and tenure track – can strike at any time.

Out of the 88 percent of eligible voters who cast a ballot Wednesday, 92 percent voted yes to give the Departmental Representative Council the authorization to set a date to strike.

This does not mean there will be a strike but Randy Hughes, president of the Faculty Association and a professor in mathematics,…

Association of Civil Service Employees approves strike authorization

Civil Service Employees can go on strike on or after Oct. 6 as a result of a 80 percent approval vote Tuesday.

Jim Clark, Illinois Education Association representative, said 75 percent of eligible dues-paying members voted on the ballot.

“Absent a ratified collective bargaining agreement, and on the recommendation of the Association of Civil Service Employee’s bargaining team, the Executive Committee is authorized to call a strike no earlier than October…

Faculty Association to vote on strike authorization

The Faculty Association, which represents tenured and tenure-track professor, will hold a strike authorization vote in less than two weeks.

Click here to view the full story.

Carbondale water system OK for now; improvements still needed

Carbondale’s water system may  be in good shape now, however it will need reinvestment to stay that way, says Gayle Klam.

“It’s essential. It’s pay now or pay later,” said Klam, a member of the Jackson County League of Women Voters.

Klam was part of a committee of the league that researched and wrote a report on Carbondale’s water system. She and league member Liz Gersbacher presented the report to the…

Board questions chancellor’s marketing plan

The chairman of the Board of Trustees said Wednesday he was insulted that trustees were not informed of the new logo that is a part of the marketing plan the chancellor has recently implemented.  •READ MORE•