University of Illinois Chicago officials and faculty union members reached a tentative agreement late Sunday, ending a nearly week-long strike as staff prepares to return to work Monday.
The UIC United Faculty announced the agreement includes increases in salaries, stronger job protections for non- tenure-track faculty, and a non- contractional commitment on mental health services.
"This is the end of a long negotiation process," the university said. "The parties were able to find common ground on an overall contract that addresses various faculty concerns and bridges the gap in compensation offers. However, there may be challenging financial times ahead that will require further collaboration with our faculty, staff and administrative leadership to control or reduce costs, as well as improve the retention and graduation rates of our students, to enhance the financial stability of the institution."
The union and university management have been in negotiations since April 2022, but faculty first went on strike Tuesday.
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“This contract contains important gains on the issues most important to our members,” Aaron Krall, UICUF president, said in a statement. “We are especially proud of winning $60,000 minimum salaries for our lowest paid members and the commitments on student wellness and disability testing.”
The new contract still needs to be ratified by the union’s membership, but faculty is set to return to work starting Monday.
Should the contract be approved, it will expire in August 2026.
