CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Members of AFSCME Local 3700 and Local 698 gathered outside the office of Provost John Coleman at the Swanlund Administration Building in Champaign Wednesday afternoon. They were asking Coleman and university administrators to “quit delaying and settle a fair union contract.”
The previous contract expired in September, and negotiations for a new agreement have been ongoing for over a year. The union members argue that the university’s latest wage offer, a modest 0.25% increase bringing the total first-year wage offer to more than 2%, isn’t enough for some of the lower-paid employees to make a living wage.
Union representatives highlighted that the current offer would add only around a nickel per hour on average for all members. They hope today’s rally will build momentum for the next round of negotiations, which will take place today. AFSCME Local 3700 represents approximately 1,100 clerical, administrative, childcare, and community workers, while Local 698 represents around 500 technical and professional employees.
University representatives have been meeting with the union for several months and have reached tentative agreements on all bargaining items except for pay. The union is pushing for a 15% pay increase over the next three years, while the university has offered a 6.75% increase during that period. This year, the campuswide salary program is set at 2%, and it is worth noting that Provost Coleman is not part of the university’s bargaining committee.