News and Views from the People's Struggle
Struggle for contracts continues
Chicago, IL – 2700 workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago were poised to strike Aug. 23. Last minute meetings between the officers of the union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 and the university president resulted in an agreement to call off the strike.
Two administrative workers from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Jennifer Edwards (left) and Jackie Kurzeja (right), testify to members of the Illinois State Senate, Aug. 11. This spring, both workers lost their jobs after many years because of UIC’s practice of replacing unionized civil service employees with non-union academic professionals – workers who are paid more but have one-year contracts. Hundreds of positions have been lost in recent years because of this. This is the key reason that workers at UIC, members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, have voted to strike on Aug. 23.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Network for to Fight for Economic Justice.
“We’ve decided to strike if we can’t get contracts.”
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following commentary by Joe Iosbaker, a leader of SEIU Local 73.
Chicago, IL – As part of strike preparations at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), a leadership group from all three committees met at the famed DuSable Museum of African American history on July 23. Nine out of ten SEIU members at UIC are Black or Latino, and Local 73 had waged a decade long struggle in the 1990s to win pay equity with the employees at the University’s campus in Urbana, where the workforce is mostly white. UIC was compelled to raise workers’ salaries because of the fight that Local 73 waged, and because of a broad coalition that was built with Black and Latino forces on campus and in the community.
Chicago, IL – Between July 30 and August 2, 800 service and maintenance workers and 400 technical workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) will take strike votes. Bargaining for the two contracts has gone on since February and ground to a stop in the past several weeks.
Chicago, IL – Around 200 workers, students, and special guests from the Illinois state legislature came out for an energized protest against the Board of Trustees meeting, May 20, at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Protestors demanded that the incoming University of Illinois president Michael Hogan turn down his $170,000 raise, chanting, “Chop from the Top!” Members of SEIU Local 73 in conjunction with the coalition UIC-ABC (Against Budget Cuts) organized the picket and rally.
Chicago, IL – There was a forceful protest of over 250 people at the University of Illinois-Chicago who came out to defend education and to fight for fair contracts, March 4. Chanting, “Chop from the top!” and “Whose university? Our university!” students, members of SEIU Local 73, the Graduate Employees Organization and faculty joined in unison against the administration placing the budget crisis on their backs. Earlier in the day, there was a forum by several professors speaking on the budget crisis, followed by a rally and march through the campus to the administrators’ building. The day closed with a soup kitchen provided by SEIU to demonstrate for a fair contract.
Chicago, IL – Hace más de tres anos que la economía se estanco, los trabajadores de la Universidad de Illinois han tenido que trabajar más por menos. Los Trabajadores del Servicio de Edificios-Building Service Workers (BSW) han sido los más golpeados, pues ahora hay 80 trabajadores menos. Es decir, que 80 fueron despedidos.
Chicago, IL – “Nunca hemos tenido tanto respeto de tanta gente,” dijo Sirlena Perry, luego agregó, “y lo hemos Ganado.” La hermana Perry se refería a la campana del contrato para los trabajadores oficinistas de la Universidad de Illinois Chicago, UIC. Ella es la lider del comité negociador y la principal encargada del local 73 SEIU ( Union Internacional de Empleados de Servicios).