April 30, 2022: The University of Illinois Springfield and UIS United Faculty reached a tentative agreement on the terms of a four-year contract (Aug. 16, 2021-Aug. 15, 2025).

April 29, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 30th bargaining session, the 10th session with the independent federal mediator

April 27, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 29th bargaining session, the ninth session with the independent federal mediator. The parties reached a tentative agreement on three items.

April 25, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 28th bargaining session, the eighth session with the independent federal mediator. To meet the union’s request for additional information on the university’s use of federal COVID-19 relief funds (HEERF), the university invited in internal auditors to discuss this item and answer questions.

April 22, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 27^th bargaining session, the seventh with the independent federal mediator, for an extended bargaining session. The parties reached a tentative agreement a Memorandum of Understanding on Workload and language that will extend non-instructional assignments to bargaining unit faculty.

April 21, 2022: The University learned that the UIS United Faculty formally filed a Notice of Intent to Strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. While this action means that the union can opt to strike any time after a 10-day waiting period, believed to be no sooner than May 2, it does not mean that a strike will occur. The university again provided the union with a comprehensive package of proposals that addressed all outstanding items, including key economic issues.

April 20, 2022: The University learned that the UIS United Faculty announced a vote to authorize a strike. A strike authorization vote gives the union the option to call for a strike, once all the legal requirements and timelines are met, but doesn’t necessarily mean a strike will occur.

April 15, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 26^th bargaining session, the sixth with the independent federal mediator. The University said it believed the parties are moving closer to agreeing on important components to the collective bargaining agreement. The University again requested additional meetings with the goal of completing a fair and fiscally responsible contract as soon as possible.

April 11, 2022: The University provided the faculty union with a comprehensive proposal package addressing all outstanding topics of negotiation.

April 8, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 25^th bargaining session, the fifth with the independent federal mediator. By mutual agreement, discussions during this session focused solely on compensation in an effort to better understand the faculty union’s most recent proposal and the data that informed it. After adjourning from the two-hour session, the parties briefly reconvened for further discussions at the request of the union. The administration team committed to presenting its compensation counter-offer by Monday, April 11.

April 1, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 24^th  session, the fourth full session with the federal mediator. 

March 25, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 23^rd session, the third full session with the mediator. The parties agreed to meet on a weekly basis moving forward.  

March 11, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 22^nd session, the second full session with the mediator. 

Feb. 25, 2022:  The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 21^st session, the first full session with the mediator. A tentative agreement was reached on Leaves.

Feb. 11, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 20^th session. A tentative agreement was reached on Modified Duties. An independent federal  mediator joined the last part of the meeting for introductions. 

Jan. 28, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 19^th session. An agreement was reached to request the assistance of a federal mediator. The University committed to extending the Procedure Review Committee for the duration of the next collective bargaining agreement and during negotiations for a successor agreement.

Jan. 14, 2022: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 18^th session.

Dec. 10, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union bargaining teams met for their 17^th  session. The administration team said it would hold time for negotiations on their calendars to meet every other Friday through the end of the semester and hoped the faculty union team would make themselves available.

Nov. 15, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their 16th session.

Oct. 25, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their 15th session. The parties reached tentative agreements on Dues Deduction, Use of Facilities, Bargaining Unit Information, Disclosure of Information to Third parties, Compensation for Duties Performed as Chair and Sabbatical Leave.

Oct. 15, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their 14th session. A tentative agreement was reached on Recognition.

Sept. 27, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their 13th session.

Sept. 3, 2021:  The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their 12^th session.

Aug. 16, 2021: The existing faculty contract expires. However, under the terms of the agreement, the terms and provisions remain in effect while the parties continue to negotiate a successor agreement. As such, faculty continue to work under the terms and conditions of the contract that was in effect prior to Aug. 16, 2021. 

Aug. 12, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their 11^th session. The parties reached tentative agreements on Professional Development Communications, Grievances, and Compensation for Chairing a Master’s Thesis.

Aug. 10, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their 10th session.

June 30, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their ninth session.

June 29, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their eighth session.

June 10, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their seventh session.

May 18, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their sixth session.

May 4, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their fifth session. The parties reached a tentative agreement updating Nondiscrimination language. 

April 21, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their fourth session.

April 6, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their third session.

March 23, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their second session.

March 8, 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams met for their first negotiation session. The parties agreed to a regular meeting schedule.

February 2021: Knowing that the contract was set to expire in six months, the UIS administration was eager to commence negotiations and issued a “Demand to Bargain” to the faculty union. A Demand To Bargain is the official language used to indicate an interest to begin the work of negotiating a successor contract. Either team can issue a Demand to Bargain to commence the bargaining process.

January 2021: The UIS administration and faculty union teams participated in a group training from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service regarding an alternative bargaining process known as Intentional Bargaining, which is intended to be a more collaborative approach to the negotiation process. Once negotiations began, the teams used this approach through early August, when the union requested to move to traditional bargaining.