BOT ratifies unions’ contracts

At the SIU Board of Trustees meeting Thursday the board ratified the contracts for the remaining unions on campus.

The unions have been negotiating terms of the contracts with the administration since June 2010 when the previous contracts ended.

Additional funding for the new student services building was approved and Chancellor Rita Cheng presented a new housing plan.

SIU President Glenn Poshard said the board ratified the unions’ contracts unanimously.

He said while…

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…

Board of Trustees addresses strike issues

Students expressed their concern with issues that came from the strike at both the executive session and regular meeting of the SIU Board of Trustees.

At the executive session Wednesday at the Stone Center – which is the office place of SIU President Glenn Poshard – almost 200 students, faculty, staff and community members with picket signs circled where the meeting was taking place. Those who participated voiced their opinions…

Strike Observations

As more than 200 students, faculty, pets and community members circled the Stone Center and chanted, those inside could barely hear one another speak.

The student-led rally marched Wednesday from Anthony Hall to the Stone Center where the SIU Board of Trustees were meeting. University police stood on the premises to ensure the rally remained peaceful.

After rally organizers announced that all BOT members were inside the building, participants chanted “Don’t…

Strike Observations

Students sift through classroom confusion

Students across campus have been adjusting to substitute instructors differently. While a number of qualified emeritus faculty, deans, department chairs and departmental professors have stepped in to cover classes, a number of professors have been randomly assigned courses. For instance, Todd Winters, interim dean of the College of Agricultural Science, is teaching a class in history.

While some students have decided to boycott classes to express support for the Faculty…

University, student relations hindered during rocky times

The recurring theme at the university recently hasn’t been one of inspiration, or one encouraging of all that higher education stands for.

Daily Egyptian reporters were repeatedly told at the beginning of the academic year that if they wished to speak to an SIUC employee, they must first speak with Rod Sievers, university spokesman. In some cases, interview questions were requested beforehand for Sievers’ approval. Some of us were…

Three unions to have members vote on tentative agreement

Contracts for three unions must be approved by dues-paying members before they can be signed.

Early Thursday morning as the Faculty Association went on strike the unions representing civil service employees, non-tenure track faculty and graduate assistants reached tentative agreements.

Chancellor Rita Cheng said the union and administration bargaining teams have met frequently in the last few weeks and negotiated from early morning Wednesday to early morning Thursday in order to…

Three of four unions reach tentative agreements

While those represented by the Faculty Association march picket lines, three of the unions in contract negotiations go back to work.

In an email to students, faculty and staff, Chancellor Rita Cheng said members of the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association, Graduate Assistants United and the Association of Civil Service Employees reached tentative settlements by 4 a.m. today.

“With these significant multi period agreements, members of these three units will be at work…

Civil service union reaches tentative settlement

At approximately 2:45 a.m., the Association of Civil Service Employees signed a tentative agreement with the administration, according to the Unions United website. ACSE will not go on strike Thursday.

The Graduate Assistants United and the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association continue to bargain language that may lead to a settlement, according to the website.

Please see Friday’s edition of the Daily Egyptian for more on this story.

Tenured faculty strike; talks go on with other unions

The union representing tenured and tenure-track faculty went on strike early this morning after negotiations with the administration failed to produce an agreement.

“The administration decided they wanted a strike, not a settlement,” said Dave Johnson, spokesman for the Faculty Association.

Chancellor Rita Cheng said as of 1 a.m. the administration’s bargaining team told her they were very close in settling with the other three unions.

[caption id=”attachment_60233″ align=”alignright” width=”199″ caption=”Dave Johnson,…

Poshard: Strike will hurt students, region, enrollment

SIU President Glenn Poshard spent much of Wednesday night in his Stone Center office waiting for a phone call.

When he got it, the news was bad.

“I don’t believe there’s anything here severe enough that merits a strike by the union faculty of this university,” he said after hearing the news that contract talks ended with the Faculty Association calling a strike for today. The union represents tenured and tenure-track…

Faculty Association strikes

The Faculty Association is on strike as of 12:01 a.m. The three other Illinois Education Association unions and the administration’s bargaining teams continue to bargain terms of the contracts.

Unions continue to bargain hours before strike deadline

Representatives of four university unions said Wednesday night they were still without contract just hours before the strike deadline.

Dave Johnson, Faculty Association spokesman, said at a press conference called to give an update on negotiations that each of the unions still hoped to avoid a strike so students wouldn’t be affected.

“It…

Unions say strike not about money, Cheng begs to differ

Editor’s Note: The following story discusses issues affecting two unions negotiating its contracts, the Faculty Association and the Association of Civil Service Employees. Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Egyptian discussed two other unions, the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association and Graduate Assistants United.

While administrators say a majority of the items being negotiated in the unions’ contracts concern money, union leaders insist the issues do not.

Four unions representing students, faculty and…

Administrators advise students on strike preparation

As the Thursday strike date approaches, the question of what students should do in the case of one is becoming more and more alarming.

Chancellor Rita Cheng’s website provides information to students if a strike begins.

Students are expected to attend class as usual and there will be consequences for those who do not, according to the website.

Rod Sievers, university spokesman, said Thursday would be a rough transition, as administrators have…

Unions’ leaders say negotiations continue without progress

Editors Note: The following story covers bargaining issues for two of the four unions in contract negotiations, Graduate Assistants United and the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association. A story focused on the remaining unions, the Faculty Association and the Association of Civil Service Employees, will appear in Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Egypitan.

With an impending strike date set for Thursday, details of union contract negotiations…

Without NTTFA members, it won’t be ‘business as usual’

Anita J. Stoner NTT Faculy Association president

There are three other locals in labor disputes that do not involve tenure.

Members of the Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association, as our name implies, do not receive tenure. We believe we would be more accurately named “Professional Teaching Faculty.” We are central to the university’s core mission.

The NTTFA has about 150 instructors who have earned a “continuing” appointment, a few modest perks if that instructor…

University community prepares as strike date approaches

In the past several months, four unions representing students, faculty and staff at the university have taken many steps toward the strike date set for Thursday.

While members of the unions say they want to avoid a strike, they have also said they will walk out if settlements are not reached by 12:01 a.m Thursday.

The Illinois Education Association unions — the Association of Civil Service Employees, the Faculty Association, Graduate…

Four unions to strike Nov. 3 if still without contracts

Graduate Assistants will strike Nov. 3 if a contract settlement is not reached by then.

The Graduate Assistants United, which represents teaching graduate students as well as research and administrative assistants, is the last of the four Illinois Education Association unions in contract negotiations to set a strike date. The unions have been bargaining since June 2010.

The Departmental Representative Council for the Faculty Association voted Thursday 29-1 to strike, and…

Three unions set strike date

Three of the four unions in contract negotiations have set a strike date for Nov. 3.

Leadership of the Faculty Association, Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association and the Association of Civil Service Employees said the unions will strike if a settlement has not been reached by then.

The Departmental Representative Council for the FA voted Thursday 29-1 to strike, and both the Executive Council of the ACSE and the House of Delegates…