Stand With UIS Faculty – They're on Strike and Need Our Support
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
Our IFT siblings at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) have gone on strike.
After 10 months of negotiations, UIS United Faculty has been forced to strike after Chancellor Gooch and UIS administration refused to offer a fair contract. Faculty have been fighting for livable wages, equitable workloads, and the resources necessary to serve their students and their campus community. At the same time, UIS Support Staff, who are among some of the most poorly paid workers in the entire U of I system, are without a contract and being offered a $0.16 raise.
After 10 months of negotiations, UIS United Faculty has been forced to strike after Chancellor Gooch and UIS administration refused to offer a fair contract. Faculty have been fighting for livable wages, equitable workloads, and the resources necessary to serve their students and their campus community. At the same time, UIS Support Staff, who are among some of the most poorly paid workers in the entire U of I system, are without a contract and being offered a $0.16 raise.
But this strike is about more than one contract, it’s about a system that has been underfunded for far too long.
For years, Illinois colleges and universities have faced chronic disinvestment. That lack of funding shows up everywhere: in overcrowded classrooms, in overworked faculty, in fewer student supports, and in campuses struggling to meet their mission. When the state fails to invest, administrations pass those pressures onto educators and students alike.
That’s exactly what we’re seeing at UIS.
Faculty are being asked to do more with less, while fighting to protect the quality of education their students deserve. Their demands for fair pay, manageable workloads, and adequate resources are not separate from the funding crisis, they are a direct response to it. This is why the fight for a fair contract at UIS is inseparable from the fight for fully funded, equitable public higher education in Illinois. The University of Illinois Board of Trustees and leadership have decided not to fund the students, faculty, and staff at UIS. This is a deliberate choice by the University of Illinois and reflects the need to fully fund all Illinois public universities.
UIS United Faculty are drawing a line. They are saying: our students deserve better, our campuses deserve better, and public higher education must be treated as a public good worth investing in. This is our fight too.
The strength of our movement depends on showing up for one another, and right now, UIS faculty need all of us.
Here are five ways you can take action today:
JOIN THEM ON THE PICKET LINE Â
Nothing sends a stronger message than showing up in person. Head to the UIS campus in Springfield and walk the line alongside striking faculty. Check UIS United Faculty’s social media for picket times and locations.
CONTACT CHANCELLOR GOOCH DIRECTLY Â
Send a message demanding that she return to the bargaining table and negotiate a fair contract. Let her know that educators across Illinois are paying attention.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE UIS STRIKE FUND Â
Striking workers are on the front lines, often without pay. Your contribution — large or small — helps sustain them and their families during this fight.
SEND MESSAGES OF SUPPORT Â
Post a message on social media using #IFTSTRONG. Tag @IFTAFTÂ and @UISUF_UPI4100Â so we can amplify your voice.
DEMAND FULL FUNDING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
The fight at UIS is happening because our colleges and universities are underfunded. Tell your legislators to pass a fully funded, evidence-based higher education funding model that invests in students, faculty, and campus communities across Illinois. Our students can’t wait.
Our movement was built on the belief that when one group stands up, we all stand with them. UIS United Faculty are fighting not just for themselves, but for the future of public higher education in Illinois.
Now it’s our turn to stand with them.