University of Illinois Chicago faculty to go on strike after negotiations break down

Faculty members at the University of Illinois Chicago are going on strike Tuesday after nine months of negotiations and failing to reach a contract agreement during a marathon bargaining session Monday.

The UIC United Faculty union announced late Monday night that it would follow through with its walkout after inadequate movement in meetings left faculty and the university administration "far apart" on compensation.

The union said it's still looking for higher minimum salaries, pay increases that keep up with inflation, learning-disability assessments for students, more transparency for non-tenure-track faculty and more.

The UIC administration is offering raises of 17% over four years, averaging 4.25% per year, the union said. That figure is comprised of merit and other specific pools of raises that do not apply to all union members across the board.

Union leaders called that offer insufficient, pointing to "seven years of record enrollments and over a billion dollars in unrestricted reserve funds.

See more of the story by the Chicago Sun-Times at chicago.suntimes.com.