As strikes continue, here’s where negotiations stand between U of I and building, food service workers

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Rain or shine, union members were back at Tuesday it to make their voices heard, and University of Illinois students are feeling the impact of the building and food service workers being out on the picket lines.

It was day two of a strike for more than 700 workers. There’s no compromise on a contract yet. There was an offer made during yesterday’s mediation session. The union rejected it.

Pizza was brought in to make sure the protestors was fed. There were about 30 people gathered near the State Farm Center, but more protests are scattered across campus. Cars honked as they drove by encouraging the union members fighting for a higher wage.

“And we also have a lot of support through the students and through other unions,” SEIU President Melody Decker said. “So we have a lot of community support. It just gives we just want a living wage. We don’t expect nothing huge, nothing big. We just want to be able to live and be okay and not have to struggle for working at a top ten university.”

They believe the offers they have received so far don’t fulfill either of those requirements.

The U of I didn’t make a new statement today on the status of talks, but did direct us to the Labor & Employee Relations website where summaries from each mediation session are posted.

According to the summary for Monday’s meeting, the session lasted an hour and a half. It began with the university using a mediator to deliver a proposal to the union, which included:

• Wage increases of $1 in year one
• Wage increases of $0.75 in year two
• Wage increases of $0.75 in year three.

However, at a previous meeting, the university’s proposal included:

• Wage increases of $1 in year one
• Wage increase of $0.85 in year two
• Wage increases of $0.85 in year three

The university said this proposal was given “with the sole purpose of avoiding a work stoppage.”

“Since SEIU went on strike, the university presented a proposal that was an increase to the amount the parties agreed to in August. After a caucus of approximately one hour, the mediator notified the university that the union did not have a response to the proposal and would not take the proposal to a vote,” the university added.

The next session is set for Thursday, Sept. 26. As for the students trying to get food in dining halls, there have been long lines because some smaller locations are closed. Some students said they weren’t able to eat, because the wait was too long, and they had to get to class.

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