Members of AFSCME Local 1110 and their supporters hold signs demanding a fair contract at the Illinois State University Board of Trustees meeting on Friday morning.
NORMAL — Members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1110 asked the Illinois State University Board of Trustees to encourage administration to approve a contract that includes wage increases for bargaining unit members.
AFSCME Local 1110 represents more than 300 building services, grounds maintenance and campus dining employees at the university. Its last contract with the university expired June 30, 2021, with negotiations in progress.
After the meeting, ISU President Terri Goss Kinzy said negotiations are ongoing and that the administration looks forward to continued productive meetings.
During public comments, union members and supporters said management had been dragging its feet in negotiations and not respecting union votes on proposed wages.
AFSCME Council 31 Staff Representative Renee Nestler said today’s wages are not in line with where they were 30 years ago when compared to the minimum wage.
“That was 30 years ago. It’s not rocket science as to why ISU was attractive then and for some time afterwards. Things have changes significantly over time, and not for the better. Today we are fighting just to keep our members’ wages more than slightly above minimum wage.”
Local 1110 President Chuck Carver said the union is also concerned about positions going unfilled, which leaves a higher burden on remaining employees.
“We have many Local 1110 members that wanted to be here but because of staff shortages and not wanting to increase the workload on their co-workers, they stayed doing their essential work,” he said.
Union contracts are available on the university’s human resources webpage, under the “supervisors” tab. New wage rates went into effect Jan. 1, 2022, but the speakers said the administration had implemented wages that the union members had rejected in a vote.
There are two other AFSCME locals at ISU, representing clerical and health care workers. Their contracts expire June 30.
This story will be updated.
Gallery: Wintry weather in Bloomington-Normal
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Tire tracks are left in the snow at Washington and East streets in downtown Bloomington on Thursday.
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A couple walks their dog as heavy snow began to fall at Main and Jefferson streets in downtown Bloomington on Thursday.
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Wes Chapman of Bloomington uses a scraper to remove ice and snow from his car while parked at the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington as winter weather caught up with Central Illinois on Thursday. About a quarter-inch of snow had fallen across Bloomington before noon.
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Red hearts and garland stood out against the snow as a statue of Abraham Lincoln celebrated a late Valentine’s Day snowstorm at the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington on Thursday.
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Butch Thompson, owner of Elroy’s, 102 E. Washington St. in downtown Bloomington, uses a shovel designed to be pushed as he cleared snow on the sidewalk on Thursday.
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A City of Bloomington Public Works plow truck clears North Clinton Street just south of Illinois Route 9 as heavy snow falls Thursday afternoon.
Brendan Denison
Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood
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February 18, 2022 at 03:36PM
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