FYI: Union tells UI it intends to strike

News-Gazette
Thursday November 8, 2007

Building and food service workers at the University of Illinois have notified the university of their intent to strike.

But if a strike occurs, it's not expected to happen until after the union's next meeting, scheduled for Nov. 26, with the university and a federal mediator. ...

Union members have been working without a contract since the end of July 2006, when their last contract expired. After several meetings failed to yield a new contract, the union voted for a strike option in August.

Last month the union filed the intent to strike notice with the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board and notified the university. The union is required to give a minimum 10-day notice, but that does not mean the union will strike this week or any time soon, Hillier said.

...

Among the issues yet to be resolved: wages. The university has offered a 2.5 percent raise for both bargaining units, the food service and the building service workers. But that raise was only to be retroactive for the building service workers, not the food service workers, according to Hillier.

Also still in negotiation is the issue of campus parking rates. ... The union has proposed a sliding scale for parking fees, meaning employees who earn less would pay less for parking. A campus parking permit currently costs $427 annually for faculty or staff.

The university rejected the union's last offer regarding parking rates, according to the union.

...

However, she did say a strike by the food service workers and building service workers would affect the level of service university housing could provide to its residents.

"But we would work to keep the impact to a minimum. We have plans in place to keep the food service and building operations at a standard of service that should not significantly interfere with the experience of living on campus," she said.

For building maintenance, the main objective when covering jobs would be to clean, except for dusting, public areas in order of priority, beginning with restrooms, then on to hallways, entrances, stairs and elevators. After those tasks are completed, other work would be done by priority, such as removing trash, cleaning chalkboards and dust mopping floors.

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