Chicago, IL – On January 22, the United Faculty Union of the University of Illinois at Chicago ended a four-day strike, winning major improvements for the 1500 full time, tenured and non-tenured faculty represented by the union. The strike has brought more than 300 days of negotiations to a close.

The stated goals of the strike centered around a few key points in the negotiations, chief among them, increased starting pay for faculty across the board, and stronger mental health support for students and faculty.

Despite publicly and repeatedly claiming that it didn’t have the money to pay for these improvements, the UIC administration has in part or in whole given into each of both of these demands. Starting non-tenured faculty pay, previously far below public school teachers, has now increased by $9000 a year, with tenure-track faculty seeing a smaller but still significant raise as well.

While the university refused to include a commitment to free mental health screenings for students in the contract with UF, the union has forced them to make a public commitment to expanding mental health services for students to the tune of millions over the next six years.

These victories came after consistent and overwhelming support from both local and national unions as well as the UIC student body. The first day of the strike saw a rally of over 500 students, faculty and supporters. Speakers ranging from Stacey Davis Gates of the Chicago Teachers Union and Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers to mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson and Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez stood in solidarity with UF.

The second day of the strike members of SDS and other progressive student groups spoke alongside youth activist and candidate for the first district council elections in the county, William “The Kid” Guerrero.

Liz Rathburn, president of SDS attacked the administration’s union busting propaganda and emphasized student-faculty unity. “Admin sent out lying, anti-union emails to the whole student body; up to the last hour of bargaining they were trying to poison the well and divide us from our professors. I’m here to say that they have failed. Your students are with you!” Students and faculty then led a march of more than 300 people into the second to last bargaining session, filling the room.

The next two days saw numbers on the picket lines hold steady. Large student contingents bolstered faculty ranks, with the UIC marching band, instruments in tow, coming out in force to support the union. More union officials, and a coalition of progressive elected officials gave speeches on Thursday and Friday, with a civil disobedience training preparing faculty to disrupt the board of trustees meeting in the event the strike continued.

Bargaining over the weekend went on well into the night, with the union ending the strike five minutes before midnight Sunday, January 22. Students and faculty woke up to the news that the faculty has won a victory against the greed of the UIC administration. A ratification vote for the tentative agreement will be held by the union within the next week.

When asked to sum up the effect the strike has had on the UIC student body, third year English major and SDS member Erin Boyle said this, “Many of my classmates weren’t clear about how or why unions operated, or what a picket line was, much less that they could be crossing one. Then this showed them the power of collective action and directly combatting an exploitive job economy that as students we’re dreading to enter if we haven’t already. The faculty union’s fight for the common good, for all of us, is a beacon of hope for me.”

#ChicagoIL #strike #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #Strikes

Chicago IL -The United Faculty union at the University of Illinois at Chicago went out on strike, January 17. United Faculty (UF) represents the 1500 full-time tenured and non-tenured faculty at the university. The strike announcement comes after nearly 300 days of negotiations between the administration and UF.

The union is demanding an increase in starting pay for non-tenured faculty, improved access to mental health resources for students and faculty and stronger protections for survivors of sexual assault and harassment.

In emails sent out to the whole student body, the university administration claimed it simply can’t afford the additional $17 million in expenses needed to raise wages and provide the same mental health services as the Urbana-Champaign campus. Bargaining has revealed that on top of its nearly $4 billion-dollar annual budget, the university has $1 billion in unspent reserves.

Members of the local SDS chapter have joined the picket lines, along with more than 500 students and workers, in support of their faculty. When asked why he supported the faculty strike, Apollo Blair, a third-year architecture student and a member of SDS, said this, “Our professors didn’t want to go on strike. The administration refusing to give in to perfectly reasonable demands just for their own greed has made it impossible for our faculty to keep working. We stand behind our faculty and their demands 100%. They make UIC work.”

#ChicagoIL #strike #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #Strikes

Chicago, IL – On Saturday, September 19, members of SEIU Local 73 continued their strike at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), rallying with community and labor allies. The 4000 workers say they are fighting for UIC to “respect us, protect us and pay us” and have vowed to remain on strike until their demands are met.

The Illinois Nurses Association (INA) finished their seven-day strike at UIC today, although co-chief steward Paul Pater announced that an agreement has not yet been reached, saying, “If we don’t have significant movement when we get back to the table on Monday, we’re going to authorize a vote for a strike, and they are terrified of that, us coming out again with you all.”

Safe staffing, workplace safety, and access to PPE are among the primary issues in the strike. For SEIU Local 73 members, a living wage is also a key demand, as some workers at UIC continue to be paid much less than Chicago’s minimum wage.

Dozens of cars passed by the rally in solidarity with the striking workers, part of a caravan organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression for the national day of protest calling for an end to police crimes and community control of police. The strike at UIC has centered the struggle against the oppression of Black people, and the rally enthusiastically greeted the caravan.

Many labor unions were present in solidarity, including the Chicago Teachers Union, American Postal Workers, United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers, UIC Graduate Education Organization, and the National Association of Letter Carriers.

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #PeoplesStruggles #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC

Chicago, IL – Over 1000 University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) workers from SEIU Local 73 and the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) flooded the center of downtown Chicago, September 18, calling for Governor JB Pritzker to support their demands in the largest strike ever at the university.

The strike began last Saturday, September 12, when INA nurses walked out at UI Health, where UIC has refused to negotiate safe staffing limits. 4000 Local 73 workers bolstered the lines September 14, joining the strike, demanding safe working conditions, staffing and a living wage. Large rallies and lively picket lines have marked the past week as workers have continued to press their demands.

The march began early in the morning at Millennium Park and proceeded to outside Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office at the Thompson Center, the State of Illinois office building.

Angie Ross, a medical office specialist in physical therapy at UIC fired up the large crowd. “We know our governor has the ability to do what’s right and help our union win this battle. We hope you take the chance to protect the workers of this state. My sisters and brothers, out here we will not stop fighting until UIC does what’s right by us.”

The rage at the disrespect, low wages and unsafe conditions was clear at picket lines and rallies throughout the past week. The strike is the largest since the start of the economic crisis, and the largest ever at UIC. The strike was born out of the same sentiment that launched the country-wide rebellion against police terror. UIC workers have gone beyond calling for improvements at work to demanding justice in their communities, with Black lives matter being a major slogan of the strike.

The message is clear: working people and the oppressed are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

In 2018 many unions, including SEIU Local 73, mobilized their members to support Pritzker for governor. At the time of writing, he has not issued any statement about the strike at UIC.

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #PeoplesStruggles #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC

SEIU Local 73 is gearing up to strike on September 14.

At the moment, SEIU 73 does not know whether any of these out-of-state workers were tested for the virus, let alone conducted the mandatory quarantine period for states reflected on the travel order.

“UIC is bringing in workers from states with higher COVID-19 transmission rates to break a strike from a workforce complaining that management risks worker and patient lives due to inconsistent COVID-19 safety protocol enforcement,” said Dian Palmer, SEIU Local 73 president. “We want to come to an agreement that is fair and just for UIC workers, but we’re also ready to strike. UIC workers are not only fighting for their livelihoods, but for their lives, the safety of their families, and the communities being served.”

UIC continues to drag its feet when it comes to COVID-19 protections and economics. Though SEIU Local 73 has had positive discussions about a $15 per hour minimum wage, UIC has not agreed to fully comply with Chicago's minimum wage law, nor have they promised the resources and protections needed to keep UIC workers, their families and the community safe.

By bringing in workers from states on the travel order, it is putting Chicago and its hospitals at risk while alienating their workers. If no agreement is reached, UIC workers will begin striking on Monday, September 14 at 6 a.m. SEIU Local 73 has filed unfair labor practices over UIC's conduct during negotiations. There has been no resolution to the claims and the union has moved forward with the intention to strike in its efforts to resolve the unfair labor practice charges and other worker concerns.

“This is making me and my coworkers upset. You're telling me you don't have the money for us? But you have $1200 to $3000 per week to bring in others from another state that's considered a hot spot? That's a slap in the face. Even with the money aside, I can't spend it if I'm dead. You call us essential workers, but you're putting our lives at risk by not giving us universal testing and protections and bringing in potentially infected people,” says Building Service Worker Monica Jones.

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #PeoplesStruggles #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #Strikes

Chicago, IL – With more than 5000 protesters rallying outside, and hundreds inside, Donald Trump canceled his campaign event tonight, March 11, on the campus of the University of Illinois. Community groups, including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, joined the demonstration.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #Labor #OppressedNationalities #WomensMovement #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #Antiracism #Elections #DonaldTrump #DumpTrump

Chicago, IL – Thousands of protesters are rallying against Donald Trump tonight, March 11, on the campus of the University of Illinois (UIC). Community groups, including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, have joined join the demonstration.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #Labor #OppressedNationalities #WomensMovement #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #Antiracism #Elections #DonaldTrump #DumpTrump

At the time of that struggle, state legislators, including Barack Obama, came to UIC for a hearing we called to address the communities’ charges of discrimination. Obama was quoted in the Chicago Tribune saying, “I recognize that in any institution there are going to be some glitches. But when you do get repeated complaints, that indicates that maybe we need some institutional change.”

Today, UIC is trying to undo the advances made through the years of struggle. For example, it is mostly white ‘academic professionals’ (APs) who are displacing union workers.

A special presentation was made at the DuSable by Professor Timuel Black, a 91-year old historian of the Black freedom struggle in Chicago. He showed the union members at UIC that they are continuing a century long struggle for full equality. Professor Black said, “The union gives us that opportunity to fulfill our hopes and dreams.”

Latino workers have also had their struggles with UIC. Maria Garcia, a customer service representative and a member of the Clerical/Administrative bargaining committee, explained that she is ready to fight. She pointed to “… inequity in treatment, wages, work-loads, management’s disregard for us, [asking us] to use our language skills selfishly without compensation. Also and most important, the lack of information we are given regarding our future and any attempt to give us a wage increase, in spite of the ridiculous salary imbalances.”

UIC won’t just face 2700 angry workers: they’ll be facing the Black and Latino communities that make up most of their employees, the patients in their medical center and many of their students.

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #AfricanAmerican #ChicanoLatino #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC

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.

On July 9 the negotiating committee for the technical unit walked out of bargaining. Andre Reed, a pharmacy technician, explained that the negotiation session was the first time they had met in one month. “Management promised if we took a one month break, they would have proposals on economics, but their representative, Steve Katz, came with nothing in his hands.”

Jerry Thomas, an equipment specialist in the College of Dentistry, described the reaction from the members of the committee when they caucused. “One worker said he was fed up and we should walk out and everyone else agreed. When we came back to the table and said we were walking, it was the first time that Katz looked like he cared about us at all.”

Management has agreed to federal mediation, but the committees have gone ahead and called for strike authorization votes for both units. A third bargaining unit of 1500 clerical workers voted by 84% in April to strike if contract can’t be reached with the help of the federal mediator. All three bargaining units are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73.

Remzi Jaos, director for the Higher Education Division of Local 73, told the members in a letter mailed to everyone’s home, that either management negotiates “… a fair contract or [we] will strike together when the students return to campus for fall semester.” The first day of classes is Aug. 23.

Mood Changes Among Workers

Early this year, many workers were worried about their jobs in the economic crisis and were taken in by management’s claim of economic hardship.

Then in May, the University hired a new president for $620,000 a year. This is $170,000 above the salary of the outgoing president. In addition, newly installed President Hogan just doubled the salary for his assistant. White’s assistant made $107,500. Hogan will pay his new assistant almost double that: $195,000.

These outrageous increases happened while UIC laid off 40 union members during the spring. The number of building service workers is half what it was a few years ago, with each worker expected to take on more work. Technical workers are seeing more and more non-union, non-civil service employees taking their work. For clerical and administrative employees, the issue of job security issue is the top priority. In recent years, hundreds of civil service and union workers have been replaced by ‘academic professionals’: non-civil service employees.

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC

Chicago, IL – Voting was completed for the 1500 clerical workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, April 16. The committee of co-workers elected last summer to negotiate a new contract had called for the vote. On the ballot was one thing: Should the committee be authorized to call a strike if a new contract could not be gained at the bargaining table?

The answer from the union members was quite clear. 84% said yes – a fair contract or strike.

Regina Russell, a member of the committee and a customer service representative from the UIC Medical Center (UICMC), said before the vote, “Workers in my department, Patient Access, are ready to strike.” Russell explained that the number of patients they register and whose insurance they must verify every hour was doubled last year. UICMC reported $5 million in profit in the first quarter of this year. “We registered 500,000 patients last year. How much of that profit do we account for?”

The situation in Patient Access was the same wherever workers worked collectively or in large numbers, such as the Daley Library, Patient Accounts, Health Information Management or the clinics. Those workers voted in large numbers and support for the strike authorization was almost unanimous.

Many workers were upset because management offered no raises in the contract, but got really angry when management eliminated the anniversary raises as well. These are 2% increases for most clerical workers have always been a part of civil service employment. Jennifer Edwards, a committee member, noted that, “The price of gas has risen, our health premiums have increased, everything has gone up. Management gave themselves a 2% raise at the start of the year, but then came to the table to say there was nothing for us.”

Workers overcome fear

A significant reason for those workers who voted “no” was the fear of the economic crisis. “We just have to be thankful we have a job,” said a number of workers. Sirlena Perry, a retired worker and longtime leader of the union who came to help staff the table for the vote, responded to this. “That’s just what management wants us to think. We can’t let the bosses do our thinking for us.”

Workers also had to overcome intimidation by management on the days of the vote. Polling places had been set up in common areas in University Hall, Daley Library and the Student Services Building. Campus police were called and ordered the union staff and members to leave the buildings. Many workers missed their chance to cast their ballot as a result. In November, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) had staged a job action in the same common area in University Hall. With 80 people in that action, they filled the area for the entire day with their ‘work-in.’ The police allowed that protest to take place.

Urging workers to be strong, Perry told them, “We have made so many gains through the union, including when we won the struggle against the racist pay differentials ten years ago.” Perry was referring to the practice that the University engaged in from 1965 until 1998 of paying the mostly Black and Latino workforce in Chicago $1 or $2 an hour less than the mainly white workers in their downstate campus in Urbana. Local 73’s greatest victory at UIC was forcing equal pay rates for all campuses. “That was a huge fight, like the one we are facing now, and the lesson is clear – we can win if we fight,” she explained.

The other main issue in the negotiations is job security. UIC has replaced hundreds, perhaps over 1000 clerical workers in recent years with non-civil service, non-union staff. There has been a steady stream of layoffs largely as a result of this practice. Mainly these Academic Professional positions have occurred at the Medical Center and the College of Medicine. These are the wealthiest parts of the University, as the numbers of patients has increased almost 300% since 1991 and the growth in research grants has placed UIC as one of the top research institutions in the country. Plus there has been an explosion of enormous donations from wealthy physicians who have made fortunes through the system of for-profit medicine. The union’s demand that the employer make a commitment to end the erosion of union positions is the first priority in these negotiations.

Union Solidarity

Workers were also buoyed by the support they received from the members of Local 73 in two other contracts at UIC. Randy Evans, who works in Environmental Services at the Hospital, came in before his shift and began to help with turning out the vote. Also a member of the bargaining committee for 800 service and maintenance workers, Evans said, “Our negotiations are going nowhere also. We’re getting the same message, ‘Do more with fewer workers and no raises.’” Speaking for the service and maintenance workers, as well as the 400 technical workers in the hospital laboratories, Evans said that they are right behind the clerical workers.

The clerical workers are set to return to meet with management in federal mediation on April 28. Workers will rally outside those negotiations at lunchtime.

Maria Alvarez, a member of the committee and a worker in the Physical Therapy clinic, said, “We are going to win, just like the graduate employees did.” She was referring to the victory scored by the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) at UIC the previous week. After GEO announced their preparations for a strike, management engaged in a last ditch, 13-hour mediation session. As the student newspaper reported, management “blinked” and made concessions in pay and job security to avoid that strike.

Willie English, a former employee and now staff for SEIU Local 73, joined the final rally to support the GEO, and later commented, “They had only 1400 workers. Local 73 has 1500 clerks, and altogether 2700 members at UIC. We can have confidence that we will win, because in our unity of our numbers, we have strength.”

#ChicagoIL #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #GraduateEmployeesOrganization #ServiceEmployeesInternationalUnionSEIULocal73

On April 5, the members of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) prepared for a strike. Their bargaining committee went in for a last-ditch session with a federal mediator and the team from management. After 13 hours at the table, GEO scored a significant victory, emerging with a tentative agreement that protects tuition waivers and increases job security. They also won two years of raises to their minimum stipends and an increase in the university’s contribution for health insurance.

Fight Back! News caught up with Gina Gemmel, communications officer for the GEO.

Fight Back!: Why was the GEO preparing to strike?

Gina Gemmel: We were preparing to strike because the UIC administration had not guaranteed tuition waivers for graduate employees. The proposal we had received from them would have allowed individual departments to set tuition waiver policy, which would open up the possibility of departments granting only partial waivers or waivers only to certain types of students. We wanted to ensure that every graduate employee currently receiving a waiver would continue to receive one so they would be able to finish their degrees at UIC.

We were also concerned about skyrocketing tuition differential fees. These fees vary in amount, in some cases reaching up to $11,000 per year. We knew that a big, visible action like a strike was one of the best ways to make the university hear our voices.

Fight Back!: What had been done to prepare for the strike?

Gemmel: Throughout the year, the GEO has held events to both send a message to the administration about the issues we care about and to get our membership involved in the fight. Two of our biggest events were a work-in on the ground floor of University Hall in December and a rally with SEIU members and other members of the UIC community in January.

In order to prepare concretely for the strike, the GEO spent time visiting grad students in departments all over campus to explain the issues and listen to their thoughts on a potential strike. We prepared logistically with picket line schedules and by training GEO members to be picket line captains. Finally, we made our intention to strike if we were not able to settle our contract in mediation known to the campus community through our “Ready to Strike” posters and buttons, with which our membership flooded the UIC campus.

Fight Back!: What are the key parts of the agreement?

Gemmel: The key parts of the agreement are the guarantee of our tuition waivers and language that will allow for more transparency in tuition differential policy. We now have a guarantee that graduate employees will not be surprised by any reductions or cuts to their existing tuition waiver benefits, without which, in most cases, students would not be able to afford graduate study. We have also received a guarantee in our contract that the university will discuss tuition differential fees with the GEO, answering questions that have previously been ignored, such as where the money from these fees goes and who exactly determines their implementation and increases.

Other important agreements included guarantees that graduate employees would be paid on time, greater job security through stronger language regarding appointment and re-appointment criteria, a 2% increase to the minimum stipend in the 2010-2011 and 2011-2010 academic years, and an increase in the university contribution to health care costs from $100 to $250 per year.

Fight Back!: What are the lessons for the other workers on campus?

Gemmel: The biggest lesson from our year-long fight for a fair contract is that the most powerful tool we have to make sure workers are protected is collective action. The most movement we saw at the bargaining table happened in the mediation session after the university received our intent to strike notice, and of course, we were able to get our contract settled after our massive rally outside the site of mediation last Monday. When the university knows that we can collectively act to disrupt normal operations, they are compelled to listen.

The GEO’s slogan is “UIC works because we do,” and this slogan can really be applied to workers all over campus. When we show the administration how essential we are to the success of UIC, they must listen.

#ChicagoIL #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #GraduateEmployeesOrganization

Universidad de Illinois (Chicago) – Los Empleados de Posgrado de la Universidad de Illinois votaron contundentemente anoche para autorizar una huelga. El contrato para 1400 de los empleados de posgrado y asistentes de catedra se vencio en agosto del año pasado. La Organizacion de Empleados de Posgrado (GEO por sus siglas en Ingles) ha estado en negociaciones desde abril del 2009, pero la actitud de la administracion sigue dirigida al “retraso del contrato” de acuerdo a la pagina de internet del GEO en Enero de este año. Esto ha sido asi por la duracion de todo el proceso de negociacion y por supuesto, la universidad ha usado la crisis presupuestaria del estado como pretexto de inaccion.

Un comunicado de prensa anunciando los resultados del voto, cita al Presidente del GEO Charles Moss “Mejoras en la seguridad de trabajo, tal como garantizar exenciones en matriculas que los empleados de posgrado ya reciben, y mantener tasas sobre control, no le costara ni un centavo a la universidad, pero haria que los empleados de posgrado se sientan mucho mas seguros de sus trabajos.

Miembros del GEO han visto “diferenciales de matricula” (tasas de diferencia entre programas de pregrado y posgrado) de varios departamentos en los ultimos años, incluyendo programas de Humanidades y Ciencias, en donde el Decano McBride quiere aumentarlas a 875 dolares por semestre, teniendo en cuenta que la mayoria de los estudiantes de posgrado ganan solo 14,000 dolares al año, esto equivale a la reduccion del 12.5% en sus salarios. La oferta de la Administracion no propone aumentos en el contrato.

El Sindicato tambien esta buscando mejoras en Campus Care, que es el programa de salud de donde ellos son elegibles. Los estudiantes de posgrado pagan 1000 dolares al año a Campus Care por cobertura que se les niega a menudo, incluyendo cobertura dental y servicios de emergencia.

Segun Jes Cook, Presidenta Organizadora del GEO, el voto fue “casi unanime”. La reunion tuvo “...uno de las mejores participaciones que el sindicato ha tenido para cualquier cosa que haya hecho. Hubieron muchas caras nuevas y una gran variedad de departamentos,” informo Cook.

El voto para darle al liderazgo de GEO la autoridad para presentar un aviso de “Intento de Huelga” a la comision de Educacion de Relaciones Laborales de Illinois, fue aprobada por el 96% de los miembros del sindicato.

En las palabras de Charles Moss, que es Asistente de Enseñanza de Pre-Calculo, los miembros demandan que “Nos Traten Justamente.” “Queremos garantias en nuestra exenciones de matriculas y queremos que mantengan el nivel de las tasas. Cuando la propuesta fue rechazada por la administracion, enfurecio a mucha gente.”

“Muchos miembros del sindicato se preguntan el porque no hemos estado en huelga.”

#ChicagoIL #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #GraduateEmployeesOrganization #GEO

Chicago, IL – University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) graduate employees voted overwhelmingly Feb. 15 to authorize a strike. The contract for the 1400 graduate and teaching assistants at UIC expired in August. The GEO has been in negotiations since April of 2009, but management’s attitude at the table has been “all about delay, delay, delay…” according to a GEO blog site in January. This has been true for the entire length of the bargaining process, and of course, the university has been using the state budget crisis as further excuse for inaction.

A press release announcing the results of the vote quoted GEO president Charles Moss: “Improvements in job security, such as guaranteeing tuition waivers that grads already receive and getting skyrocketing fees under control, won’t cost the university a dime, but would make graduate employees much more secure in their jobs.”

GEO members have seen ‘tuition differentials’ from numerous departments in recent years, including in Liberal Arts, where Dean McBride wants to raise it to $875 a semester. Given that most grads make only $14,000 annually, this would be the equivalent of a 12.5% cut in pay. Management’s offer has no raises in it.

The union is also looking for improvement in Campus Care, the health program they are eligible for. Grads pay $1000 a year for coverage, which is often denied for dental or emergency services.

According to Jes Cook, Organizing Chair of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), the vote was “almost unanimous.” The meeting had “…one of the best turnouts for anything the union has done. There were a lot of new faces, and so many departments,” reported Cook.

The vote to give the GEO leadership the authority to file an Intent to Strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations board won 96% support among the members.

In the words of Charles Moss, who is a pre-calculus teaching assistant, the members are saying, “Treat us fairly. We wanted guarantees of our tuition waivers and to hold the line on fees. When our proposal about that was struck, it really angered a lot of people.”

“A lot of members are confused why we haven’t already been on strike,” Moss continued

#ChicagoIL #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #GraduateEmployeesOrganization #GEO

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.

En el campo de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago han construido nuevos edificios y cada uno de los edificio construidos viene como una maldición para los trabajadores del (BSW), quienes están representados por el Local 73 de la Unión Internacional de Empleados de Unión (SEIU). La administración esta contratando a compañías particulares para la limpieza de los edificios de la universidad, esto esta dificultando los reclamos de los trabajadores sindicalizados representados por la unión SEIU.

Se han violado los contratos cuando los supervisores en las facilidades de mantenimiento han buscado privatizar el trabajo en los edificios existentes solicito una reunión con la administración y 30 trabajadores se presentaron dos horas antes de que fueran reemplazados en su turno. El representante de la Oficina de Personal para los empleados y obreros Greg Parran, entró Bill Silver, director de la división del Local 73, le dijo: “Dile a los trabajadores tus planes de quitarles sus trabajos.” De acuerdo a Wanda Neely, quien es una representante del sindicato, los administradores se sorprendieron y quedaron “boquiabiertos como si sus mandíbulas rodaran por el suelo.”

Esta acción sirvió para notificar a los patrones de la universidad y decirles que ellos no van a privatizar estos trabajos sin que halla una lucha.

Los recortes en el presupuesto del estado amenazan a los trabajadores

En el otoño pasado las secretarias de la UIC obtuvieron una gran victoria. El Local 73 de SEIU, represento a más de 1,000 empleados, quienes consiguieron un contrato con buenas reivindicaciones. Esto a pesar de la crisis económica. Esta victoria es un gran triunfo.

El Gobernador Blagojevich, esta proponiendo un nuevo presupuesto en el que recorta algunas de las reivindicaciones obtenidas en el anterior pliego de peticiones.

Los nuevos contratos ofrecen aumento cada ano. De todas maneras el contrato de aumentos en general, esta atado a la cantidad que Springfield da a la universidad para los contratos salariales. Este ano, la propuesta del gobernador es del 2% menos que el ano pasado.

Existe otro ataque en contra de los trabajadores estatales. Los fondos de las pensiones estatales están deficientes. El dinero de estos fondos que previamente esta girado para la jubilación de los trabajadores, la administración del estado de Illinois los esta tomando prestados y esta diciendo que los repodar en un plazo cercano. Sin embargo, miles de trabajadores podrán encontrar que no hay fondos para su retiro.

El estado de Illinois tiene uno de los peores problemas del país en cuanto a los fondos de jubilación, el estado solo tiene el 54 % de bienes de capital necesario para Pagar a los futuros beneficiarios de jubilaciones, hay un déficit de 35 billones.

Sin ir muy lejos, el estado ahora quiere que los trabajadores contribuyan con un 4% más cada ano a su pensión. Esta contribución en efecto es ilegal.

El Gobernador Blagojevich dijo: “que el había prometido no mas nuevos impuestos.” También, el gobernador prometió que no iba a balancear el presupuesto Sobre las espaldas de los trabajadores estatales. Los fondos de jubilación son beneficios que están garantizados a nosotros, los políticos están obligados a recaudar fondos adecuadamente para ello. Esas promesas no las pueden romper. Y si no pueden aumentar impuestos. Por que? Eso es debido a que los ricos rehúsan pagar su parte, y los políticos de ambos bandos bailan al compass de la danza de los ricos.

El Local 73, esta formando parte de una unión Coalición para la educación superior de estudiantes. Un recorrido será llevado a cabo el día 24 de Marzo, donde un mensaje será enviado ala mansion del Governador: Trabajadores no tomaran un lugar atrás ante los Ricos y los poderosos.

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Chicago, IL – Cientos de estudiantes latinos de la Universidad de Illinois – Chicago (UIC) y de las escuelas secundarias de Chicago abarrotaron el Foro del 27 de octubre en la UIC para defender sus derechos a la educación. El evento fue una audiencia sobre el estatus de los latinos en la UIC auspiciado por la Illinois Latino Legislative Caucus (Camara legislativa latina).

A los estudiantes se les unieron miembros de la comunidad, la facultad y los empleados quienes salieron en respuesta al ataque al programa de Latin American Recruitment and Education Services (LARES) y otros servicios de apoyo. LARES fue creado hace 33 años cuando solo había 100 estudiantes latinos inscritos en la UIC. Por medio de las luchas de las comunidades latinas para que la UIC abriera sus puertas, mas los esfuerzos de LARES, actualmente hay 3300 estudiantes latinos.

Sin embargo, ese es el mismo número que fue presentado 10 años atrás. En la década pasada, ha habido un rápido crecimiento en la población inmigrante en el área de Chicago. Hoy, mientras que 13% de los estudiantes de la UIC son latinos, casi 30% de Chicago es latino. La población negra ha ido declinando comparada al porcentaje en el estado y la ciudad, bajó a solo 9% en la UIC, mientras que un 35% de la población en Chicago es negra.

LARES ha visto su presupuesto recortado desde hace una década por encima de $100,000.00, a menos de $10,000.00 este año. Ahora el estado está amenazando con una anulación general del presupuesto de la UIC. Esto significaría que la legislatura retiraría el presupuesto. El rector Eric Gislason dijo a los legisladores estatales en la audiencia que habría una recisión y que podría ser del 5%. Otras fuentes sugieren que podría ser de hasta el 10%.

El mensaje de Gislason a la audiencia es que la UIC está haciendo (más que) suficiente para ayudar a los latinos. Adicionalmente, dijo que no prometía que LARES y otros programas de apoyo no sufrirían cuando los cortes tomaran lugar.

Los trabajadores en la UIC también se están preparando para las bajas cuando la recesión tome lugar. Sirlena Perry, una trabajadora administrativa y activista sindical del Local 73 de la Service Employees International Union (SEIU), impugnó, “el estado debe subir los impuestos a los ricos, no recortar servicios a la clase trabajadora y a los pobres.” Ella manifestó los sentimientos de muchos trabajadores sindicales presentes. “Ellos no pueden balancear su presupuesto a costa de los trabajadores – si hay recortes, la gerencia debe tomar el primero y el mayor.”

Illinois tiene una de las tarifas tributarias más bajas que cualquier otro estado en los EU. A partir de la desregulación de la bolsa de valores, el 1% de los ricos en el país han hecho enormes fortunas. Ahora su avaricia ha causado la mayor crisis desde la Gran depresión. Entonces, cuando Wall Street estuvo metido en problemas, el Congreso de EU los sacó de problemas con trillones de dólares. Sin embargo, a la gente trabajadora se le niega la ayuda cuando ellos enfrentan el embargo de sus hogares.

Ahora la crisis financiera causará a los trabajadores, incluyendo a los de la UIC, el perder sus trabajos. Los trabajadores latinos y negros serán los más lastimados. Ellos han tenido que luchar contra la discriminación racial para conseguir igualdad de salarios con los trabajadores blancos en el campus de Urbana. John Ayala, técnico de mantenimiento de la UIC quien habló en las audiencias, refiriéndose al aumento de contratación de latinos, indicó que, “la mayoría de latinos son empleados en los trabajos peor pagados.”

La movilización en esta audiencia fue bastante exitosa. Los presentes dijeron que el rector estaba visiblemente perturbado por las declaraciones y la disposición de la multitud.

El hermano Ayala indicó que harán falta más luchas para que los trabajadores avancen en su causa.

“Teniendo ésta y futuras audiencias podría ser la única forma de hacer que la UIC respete a la comunidad latina y dará esperanza a muchos trabajadores desanimados.”

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #News #ChicanoLatino #SEIU #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #LARES #UICForum

McIntosh, una delegada de base del local 73 del Sindicato Internacional de Empleados de Servicios (SEIU) es una de los 140 empleados que trabajan en el departamento de cuentas de la Universidad de Illinois, Centro Médico en Chicago. Si los jefes de la gerencia de la universidad logran lo que desean, a todos estos empleos los van a sustituir con trabajadores no sindicalizados que carecerán de beneficios del servicio civil.

Los integrantes del local 73, incluyendo enfermeras que pertenecen a la Asociación de Enfermeras de Illinois, mas apoyadores de la organización Empleos y Justicia (Jobs with Justice), constituyeron los 60 luchadores congelados que marcharon. Los gritos incluían, “Jey, Jey, Jo, Jo, Abajo la Privatización”. Tanto frió y nieve hubo que Rodney Telomen, co-presidente de la Asociación de Enfermeras, tuvo hielo adhiriendo a sus barbas y bigotes.

¿Contratos o Corrupción?

Durante varios años, las enfermeras y otros trabajadores sindicalizados en la Universidad de Illinois han tenido que luchar en contra de la privatización por medio de contratos con compañías particulares. Este año, la gerencia ha inventado un ángulo nuevo.

La “agencia de afuera” que se ha creado para apoderarse de este trabajo en realidad no es una cosa de afuera. Llamado “Wolcott, Wood y Taylor”, o WWT (por las calles que rodean a los planteles de las clínicas y hospitales de la universidad), esta “compañía” fue inventada por la Junta de Síndicos de la misma universidad. Por medio de un préstamo de $5.5 millones, ellos le proporcionaron el dinero para comenzar. Luego le proporcionaron a WWT espacio para sus oficinas en las meras planteles de la universidad.

Los empleados que van a perder sus empleos son afro-americanos y latinos, incluyendo muchas mujeres, que han prestado muchos años de servicio a la universidad. Pero los patrones del WWT son los altos funcionarios de la universidad, quienes mantendrán sus altos salarios bajo el nuevo arreglo. Lo dijo Rodney Telomen “A Chip Rice, vice-canciller encargado del Centro Médico de la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago, le pagan $300,000 cada año. Este salario sin lugar a dudas se encontrará aumentado si se convierte en un director de WWT”. Universidad de Illinois en Chicago ¿Les Importan mas las Ganacias que la Gente?

¿Porque está sucediendo esto ahora mismo? Lo sabe Sirlena Perry. Ella es vice delegada principal del local 73 en la universidad, y participaba en la marcha. “El verdadero problema consiste de las organizaciones de mantenimiento de salud (HMO) y las compañías de aseguranzas. ¡Pero el pueblo se despierta!” Es cada vez mas obvio para la gente que las grandes corporaciones invertidos en la salud están haciendo ganancias enormes. Son tan ricos que pueden obligar a los hospitales públicos hacer lo que les da la gana. Las corporaciones cortan las ganancias de los hospitales, y luego los hospitales pasan los costos y la presión a sus empleados y a los pacientes. Los trabajadores se están uniendo con los ancianos para exigir que la gente debe ser atendido antes de las ganancias.

Otra delegada del local 73, Glenda Searcy, que también es una lideresa de los empleados amenazados, dijo: “Hemos trabajado muy fuerte y ahora nos amanezan así. Exigimos el respeto y la seguridad en el trabajo”.

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #privatización

McIntosh, a steward with Service Employees International Union (S.E.I.U.) Local 73, is one of the 140 workers who do the billing and collections for the U.I.C. Medical Center. If the top management gets their way, they will replace McIntosh and others with non-union workers, without civil service benefits.

Members of Local 73, nurses from the Illinois Nurses Association, and supporters from Jobs With Justice made up the 60 frosty fighters. Their chants included, “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Privatizing has to go!” Rodney Telomen, co-chair of the I.N.A., had ice on his beard and mustache after picketing in the wind, cold, and snow.

Contracting Out? Or Corruption?

Union workers and nurses at U.I.C. have faced privatizing and contracting out for a number of years. This time around, the attack has a new twist.

The outside agency set to take over the jobs is not really an outside company at all. The “company”, called Wolcott, Wood and Taylor (named for the streets facing the clinics and hospital), was created by the University's Board of Trustees. They gave it the money to start up, backing a $5.5 million loan. Then they provided office space for W.W.T. on campus.

The workers being replaced are Black and Latino, mostly women, with many years of service to U.I.C. But the bosses of Wolcott, Wood and Taylor are top U.I.C. officials, who will continue to draw their high salaries. The Illinois Nurses Association's Rodney Telomen asked, “If there were problems with billing services at U.I.C., why were workers deprived of employment because of management's failure? Vice-chancellor Chip Rice presides over W.W.T., while getting an enormous raise to over $325,000. What's up with that?”

U.I.C.: Profits Above People

Why is this happening now? Sirlena Perry knows. She is an assistant chief steward for Local 73 at U.I.C., and one of the marchers. “The HMO s and insurance companies are the real problem. But people are waking up to it!”

More and more, workers can see that the healthcare corporations make huge profits. So much that they make the public hospitals dance to their tune. They cut into hospitals profits, and then the bosses pass the stress on to workers and patients. Workers are joining with patients, including senior citizens and others, to say that people should be put before profits.

Glenda Searcy, a Local 73 steward and another leader of the threatened workers, said, “We've worked very hard for U.I.C., and now we're being threatened like this. We demand respect and job security.”

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #privatization #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC

Chicago, IL – Hundreds of Latino students from the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) and Chicago high schools packed into the UIC Forum on Oct. 27 to defend their right to an education. The occasion was a hearing on the Status of Latinos at UIC held by the Illinois Latino Legislative Caucus.

Students were joined by community members, faculty and employees who turned out in response to an attack on the Latin American Recruitment and Education Services (LARES) program and other support services. LARES was created 33 years ago when there were only 100 Latino students enrolled at UIC. Through the struggles of the Latino communities for UIC to open its doors, plus the efforts of LARES, today there are 3300 Latino students.

However, that is the same number that was present here ten years ago. In the past decade, there has been further growth in the immigrant population in the Chicago area. Today, while 13% of UIC students are Latinos, almost 30% of Chicago is Latino. The Black student population has been declining compared to their percentages in the state and city as well, down to only 9% at UIC, while 35% of Chicago is Black.

LARES has seen its operating budget cut from over $100,000 a decade ago, to less than $10,000 this year. Now the state is threatening a ‘rescission’ of UIC’s overall budget. This would mean the legislature taking back funding. Chancellor Eric Gislason told the state legislators at the hearing that there will be a rescission and that it could be 5%. Other sources suggest it could be as much as 10%.

Gislason’s message to the hearing was that UIC is doing enough to help Latinos. Further, he said that he would not promise that LARES and other support programs would be spared when the cuts come down.

UIC Workers to Face Layoffs

Workers at UIC are also preparing for layoffs as the rescission deepens. Sirlena Perry, a clerical employee and union activist with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, responded, “The state should raise taxes on the rich, not cut back services to the working class and the poor.” She expressed the feeling of many union workers here. “They can’t just balance their budget on the backs of the workers – if there are cuts, management should take the first and the deepest.”

Illinois has one of the lowest rates of taxation of the wealthy of any state in the U.S. Over the years of deregulation of the stock market, the richest 1% in the country has made enormous wealth. Now their greed has caused the biggest crisis since the Great Depression. Then, when Wall Street was in trouble, the U.S. Congress bailed them out with billions of dollars. However, working people are denied any help when we face foreclosure of our homes.

Now the financial crisis threatens workers, including at UIC, with layoffs. Latino and Black workers will be hurt even worse. They have had to fight against racist discrimination to get equal pay with the white workers at the Urbana campus. John Ayala, a building engineer at UIC who spoke at the hearings, referred to the increase in hiring of Latinos, but noted that, “Most Latinos are employed in the lowest-paying jobs.”

The mobilization at this hearing was hugely successful. Witnesses said that the chancellor was visibly shaken by the statements and the mood of the crowd.

Ayala signaled that more struggle will be needed for workers to advance their cause. “Having this and future hearings may be the only way to get UIC to respect the Latino community and will give hope to many discouraged employees.”

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #StudentMovement #News #ChicanoLatino #SEIU #UniversityOfIllinoisChicagoUIC #LARES #UICForum

The new contract was ratified by hundreds of workers in voting in early May. It includes two years of back pay at 2.5% raises for each year. This will allow workers to catch up to the increases in the cost of living. In addition, workers at the sites in Rockford and Peoria will get an additional 1% raise over two years. These workers are paid less than their counterparts in Chicago and it was an important principle for the union to move them toward equal pay.

Jeff Dexter, the chief negotiator for Local 73, thanked the bargaining committee he had headed up over the last 20 months. “This has been a fight for the needs of these working people, 98% women, 90% African American and Latino.” He continued, “Our members have made it abundantly clear they won’t be treated as second class citizens.” He was referring to the historical disparity between wages for employees at the university’s flag ship campus in downstate Urbana and those at UIC.

This hard fought battle for these 1500 union workers included the first ever strike vote against this employer. Leti Rios, a customer service representative in the Patient Access department, had said at the time of the strike authorization vote in January, “If this department alone (were to) go on a one-day strike, we will put a big hurt on the university.” Apparently, UIC management believed that to be the case for the entire bargaining unit and moved to get a settlement right after the strike vote.

The union had to keep united through the coldest winter in ten years. Sirlena Perry, a member of Local 73’s executive board and veteran of many negotiations at UIC, said, “It’s beautiful the way our members have shown their strength and stuck together. Local 73 can hold our heads high.” Workers went out on picket lines repeatedly in weather as cold as 20 degrees below zero to show their readiness to strike. The pickets included several actions against departments where union employees were being replaced by non-union personnel. The new contract also included important language that will help Local 73 to fight for job security for the civil service workers.

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While legally required to attempt to resolve differences through federal mediation, the union has kept fighting back against attacks on members by departments and by human resources. On Feb. 7, 75 people took over the street in front of the offices of the Department of Pediatrics. The marchers included Local 73 members, but also members of the Illinois Nurses Association, Graduate Employees Organization, the Laborers Union and Students for a Democratic Society.

At least eight union members had received elimination notices by the new department head the previous Friday. Sirlena Perry, executive board member of Local 73, said “Who’s going to do their work? I’ll bet it’s Academic Professionals, since there’s still ten of those in the department.”

The message to management was clear: Workers are ready to fight on the picket line if things can’t be settled through negotiations. “This shows why we have to have language protecting our job security,” said Perry. The bargaining committee has been pressing this issue for one and a half years.

Department Heads Gone Wild?

Two weeks later, 50 workers, students and supporters rallied to support a long time employee being unfairly targeted by another new department head. Donna Dorney has been the administrative assistant in the Criminal Justice department for 15 years and has won praise and awards by UIC. However, the new department head decided she wanted a non-union academic professional, and has been making Dorney’s life hell ever since, going as far as suspending her without pay for something that was the head’s fault.

Gwen Pinager, a union member and old friend of Dorney’s, walked a mile and a half across campus to join the picket line. “I had to stand up for her,” she said.

These and many other examples show that it is more than just anti-union attitudes by new department heads. In each case, campus human resources is aware of these actions, knows that the department heads are violating civil service regulations, UIC Policy and Rules and Local 73’s contract, but still gives them a green light.

This treatment by these department heads is the same treatment management at UIC has given to members of Local 73 at the bargaining table – disrespect in the form of crummy wage offers and refusal to raise the top steps for our most senior employees, while pleas for job security go unheard. The next meeting with the federal mediator is set for March 6, but union members know they have to rely on themselves to get justice, in contract negotiations and in all other conflicts with management.

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