Strike suspended at Governors State University: Faculty and staff union reach tentative agreement with administration
University Park, IL – An agreement was reached between administration and the faculty and staff union at Governors State University (GSU) – GSU University Professionals of Illinois (GSU UPI, IFT Local 4100) – causing an end to the strike that began on Tuesday. GSU UPI President Mike Hart released the following statement:
“We’re relieved that we’ve come out of this process with a contract that addresses workload concerns so that we can better support students, and that gives our outstanding faculty and staff fair compensation for the great work they do every day. This contract is a step towards strengthening our university and the support we can give our students, and it will contribute to attracting high-quality educators and retaining the excellent faculty and staff we have. We are looking forward to reviewing the details with our members and will hold a vote to ratify the contract.”
The two sides have been bargaining since June 2022, and entered mediation in December. Members took a strike vote in March after little progress was made in sessions with a mediator and were forced to strike on April 11.
A ratification vote is planned as soon as members have had a chance to examine the tentative agreement. GSU UPI members will return to work on April 18, 2023.