Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

After seven months of federal mediation, WIU faculty authorize strike

Posted in:

Illinois

* Facebook post yesterday from the union representing Western Illinois University’s faculty…

The WIU UPI strike authorization vote passes with high turnout and an overwhelming majority.

Union President William Thompson issued the following statement:

“We stand for a mutually beneficial, future: a better future for our students, for our members, for WIU’s employees, and for our community. Our goal with contract negotiations is to move Western Illinois University forward while allowing the institution to retain and attract quality faculty and academic support professionals. Unfortunately, management is not yet on board with this plan, so we decided to have this vote to allow the bargaining team to call a strike if management continues not to listen to our united voice.

“In the spring of 2016, UPI worked with management and deferred a previously negotiated 3% salary increases leading to a $3.2 million give back to Western from our members. We additionally gave up a 1% raise (worth $470,000 a year). We aren’t asking for the world, but the University can afford to give us a reasonable contract that will allow us to keep and retain the high quality faculty and staff that will provide a better future for all of us and make Western Illinois University, the Right Choice for our students.”

* Tri-States Public Radio…

[Jim LaPrad, a member of the union’s leadership team] said the union plans to go ahead and file the paperwork, but members do not have plans, at this time, to go on strike. Still, he said the vote is an important tool to have given that the administration can, at any time, impose a contract.

“We believe having the authority is necessary at this time to show the administration that there’s a unity of one voice,” LaPrad said.

Negotiations between UPI and the university’s administration over the past seven months have involved a federal mediator. The next mediation session is scheduled for Monday, April 23.

The two sides remain divided on a number of issues including proposed salary cuts and changes to the salary minima structure.

* Western Courier earlier this week…

Western Contract Administrator Russ Morgan released a statement on behalf of the university in response to the announcement of the vote.

“We urge our faculty to vote against an authorization to strike, remain in the classroom, and remain committed to our students,” Morgan said. “Our students have entrusted their education to Western Illinois University. They deserve the education for which they have paid. With approximately four weeks remaining in the Spring 2018 semester, we need to live up to our commitment to our students.”.

* From WIU…

Striking will not change the economic realities surrounding higher education in Illinois and, more particularly, at WIU (such that the university can afford the contract the union wants).

Striking and the uncertainty created by the threat of a strike will harm enrollment and retention efforts.

Striking will not change that WIU needs to move forward with restructuring to positively impact the institution’s financial health and create a viable and sustainable foundation for the future.

Striking will bring negative publicity to WIU and its surrounding communities.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:10 am

Comments

This is a sad situation. Western Illinois University is a fine school. Hopefully, people will begin to see that too many administrators (which cost a lot of money) hurts professors and students…

Comment by Steve Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:14 am
Is it a coincidence that the president of WIU is a finalist for a job at Boise State?

Comment by Former Merit Comp Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:15 am
As well they should. Sad it’s come to this Rauner.

Comment by Lt Guv Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:19 am
Before looking up the tanking enrollment, I wasn’t aware WIU had a presence in the Quad Cities.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:35 am
==Striking will bring negative publicity to WIU and its surrounding communities.==

Well, yeah, that’s the point.

Comment by Chris Widger Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:38 am
In this case the faculty union is trying to prevent some big pay cuts - especially to the long term salary minima lanes. Those long term salary minima lanes are what keep WIU salaries competitive with their peer institutions. Without those salary minima lanes, good current faculty are going to keep leaving WIU - and it will be very hard to attract good new faculty.

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:39 am
==Is it a coincidence that the president of WIU is a finalist for a job at Boise State? ==

Read http://tspr.org/post/wiu-president-finalist-job-boise-state-university

But then also look at the links to stories of a no-confidence vote at the end of that story.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:46 am
There’s another issue at stake too: The administration wants to lock in a long term contract whereas the union, given that the political situation may change by November, would prefer a short term contract.

As a WIU faculty member, this is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the administration’s position. I have no desire to be locked into year after year of steadily declining real salaries when there is a possibility that the state returns to having yearly budgets.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:53 am
This is the first time in WIU’s history that the administration has used an outside negotiator to arrive at a contract. Administration has always prided itself on being able to talk with its faculty. President Thomas changed all of that by bringing a negotiator who gets rewarded for “ saving money on the contract.” Meanwhile administration hunkers down behind a no cuts for administrators salaries policy and hires two more overpaid friends of Jack. Sounds like a recipe for a “no confidence vote” from faculty and a level of mistrust and resentment that all but guarantees failed negotiations. Strike or no strike the damage will take a long time to repair. This is just the latest in a long line of poor decisions and policies coming from President Thomas and his friends. Meanwhile he writes lame editorials calling for “unity of purpose” all the while applying for jobs across the country. Nothing good is going to come from this except his certain departure.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 10:55 am
Administrative ineptitude would be an apt description of Thomas’s tenure. His budget director is leaving and the provost is an “interim” who has been an interim for six years. Lots of unrest among students culminating in a riot and mass arrests in Thompson Hall some weeks back. Talk about bad publicity. The only good things going on with WIU are in the Quad Cities. A whole different atmosphere on that campus. Could it be the quality and ability of leadership?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:06 am
In past contract negations with the WIU faculty, both sides had agreed to do integrative bargaining (also called “interest-based bargaining,” or “win-win bargaining”), that is a negotiation strategy in which parties collaborate to find a “win-win” solution to their dispute.

However, with this contract, WIU Administration announced they instead would be doing positional bargaining - and hired an extremely expensive (over $200,000 per year) labor lawyer (actually, anti-labor lawyer) to negotiate their positions. As a result, negotiations have not gone well up to this point. Hopefully with this vote, negotiations will be more productive.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:08 am
Hey Anonymous WIU faculty member — How about using a nickname to make it easier to follow your posts and responses to them? Might add a little more credibility to what you’re posting, eh? Just a suggestion from a fellow WIU faculty member.

Comment by Flapdoodle Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:19 am
It is amusing that the union thinks that having JB in charge will some how change the fiscal reality of the state.

Every group seems to think that JB being in charge of the budget will unleash billions of new spending where everyone gets raises and things get back to Illinois normal (spending way more than comes in with no repercussions).

Reality is going to hit folks like a ton of bricks sadly when the glory days of profligate spending with unending streams of revenue don’t return to Illinois just because Rauner is finally gone.

That hope of a return to the 90’s glory days I.E spending has gotten many through the Rauner dark days, yet it will prove to have been little more than a denial based coping mechanism not in touch with reality.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:22 am
Flapdoodle, all of the Anonymous WIU posts are not coming from the same anonymous person. I did 10:46 & 11:08, but not the other two.

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:26 am
I usually support teachers and college faculty in these disputes but WIU salaries are higher than many other schools such as UIS.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:42 am
Anon,
Rauner’s budgets (or lack thereof) have decimated Higher Ed in Illinois — particularly at the Regionals (which unlike UIUC/UIC don’t have huge sources of external revenue via endowments/grants, etc). It’s not profligate spending we need. It’s targeted, smart, spending on Illinois’ future by prioritizing Higher Ed because it grows jobs, opportunities, and strengthens our citizens. It’s actually not terribly expensive to sufficiently fund the Regionals — study the numbers and you’ll see the returns easily outweigh the costs.

Comment by aWIUProf Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:47 am
150 employees at WIU make over $100,000 per year! Of this number, only 48 would be considered administration. The rest are professors of some type.

Comment by Downstate Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:50 am
Anon:

It seems to be open season on unions. Everyone wants to make them the boogeymen for everything bad and *shocking* they are pushing back. I don’t think the WIU union is asking for the moon. The fact that they gave back money is evidence that they understand the current situation. But, you can’t ask someone to give, give, give. That’s not a negotiation. Those are one-sided demands.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:59 am
The really troubling part is that we may be stuck with President Thomas for a long time. After the faculty’s recent no confidence vote, yesterday’s strike authorization vote, several failed attempts by Thomas to leave (now Boise St.), and the BOT’s determined support despite numerous Admin missteps and failures. We may have no choice but to keep him — he’s ours.

Comment by Downcast Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:17 pm
As a person who has to hire professional staff in sparsely populated areas of rural Illinois it often requires paying higher salaries than are paid in counties with urban centers. The fact that salaries at Western are higher than those at UIS is no surprise.

Comment by 100 miles west Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:27 pm
Imagine having a business where you had a 30% decrease in customers (about the same as student loss at WIU over the years) and at the same time you had employees demanding a pay increase and a decreased workload? This does not even account for going two years without funding.

The largest failure of President Thomas and the administration will probably be that they did not cut enough positions. For those hoping for new administration, be careful of what you wish for.

Also, let’s never forget when this all happened in 2015 the administration took a voluntary 8% pay cut.

Comment by Bombers Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:34 pm
===Imagine having a business===

The hard truth is, profs get recruited away for better money.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:37 pm
Sorry, Bomber, but let’s get the facts straight. Admin currently seeks to slash salaries (after several faculty givebacks the last 5+ years), and won’t agree to cutting their own by the same percentage going forward. Kinda funny behavior if things are so dire, though sitting on a tidy and growing “reserve” fund. The union understands the existence of the difficult enrollment environment, exacerbated by poor administrative (and admission) strategies, and an in-bred, internally promoted leadership team in severe need of several open, national searches. Determined, shared sacrifice is the answer. Meanwhile, Thomas is jumping ship?!

Comment by Jingo Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:51 pm
It is time for the BOT to stand behind faculty since Thomas does not even want to be here. Encourage Thomas to be honorable and resign. Saving his salary could make an impact on the budget!

Comment by Disheartened Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:05 pm
Anonymous, Lincoln Land pays better than UIS

Comment by Liberty Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:16 pm
==50 employees at WIU make over $100,000 per year!==

Is there a point there somewhere? What is it you think the market pay for a professor is? Is $100K some magic number in your head?

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:22 pm
Rich

Faculty may leave for better more prestigious jobs, but not necessarily higher paying (peer institution). Also, one should probably include the cost of living in these comparisons.

http://www.wiu.edu/provost/pdfs_and_docs/Salary-Minima-Nov-6-2017.pdf

There is also no shortage of highly educated, highly qualified folks applying to WIU to fill vacant positions (retirement) even in the current climate. Why? It a pretty good gig.

Comment by Bombers Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:39 pm
==150 employees at WIU make over $100,000 per year==

When you factor in “additional compensation” it’s 188.

I hope the salary focus is on the non-tenured folks on the low end of the scale.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:49 pm
Jingo,

So the administration should assume the state will fund WIU, not build a reserve and give the money to the faculty? This would be an example of a good administrator?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 2:04 pm
===The only good things going on with WIU are in the Quad Cities. A whole different atmosphere on that campus. Could it be the quality and ability of leadership?===

This is simply not true. The WIU-QC campus is a $60 million political boondoggle created by past Democratic administrations to provide a tax break to John Deere for “gifting” the land and subsequent construction jobs for union constituents to erect the mostly empty buildings on site.

Both enrollment headcount and student credit hour production on the “Riverfront campus” have tanked every bit as much as in Macomb to reach their lowest points in close 15- to 20 years. Upwards of 1/3 of student credit hours credited to QC are taught online by faculty in Macomb. Meanwhile, the campus costs WIU just over $9 million each year to staff, maintain and operate.

Comment by Enough Already Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 2:12 pm
==When you factor in “additional compensation”==

Here we go . . .

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 2:17 pm
Re: the earlier comments about numbers of employees over $100,000. The commenters seem to have reversed the administration and union positions.

The administration would like to get rid of, or lower, minimum salaries (which are reasonable high at WIU) in order be able to afford to give raises to those who are already earning well above the minimum (the aforementioned group over $100,000.

The union, while not denying that there are those in the business school who are earning less than they could at peer institutions, does not believe that holding on to all of our highest paid employees is necessarily a top priority at the moment. After all, with lowered enrollment, we have too many employees. If some find jobs elsewhere, that’s not necessarily bad. And if the people finding jobs elsewhere are the highest paid, well, there are obvious benefits to that.

FWIW, I’m also the anonymous commenter from 10:53.

Comment by anotherWIUprof Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 2:59 pm
–So the administration should assume the state will fund WIU, not build a reserve and give the money to the faculty? This would be an example of a good administrator?

I know that you are being sarcastic, but yes.

The response to an institution not spending all the money allocated it has historically been to allocate it less money in the future. The response to an institution running out of money has been to allocate emergency funds.

If WIU can save enough money to create a reserve, it would be better off using that money for the recruitment of students. It’s not even a close call.

Comment by anotherWIUprof Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 3:03 pm
==Re: the earlier comments about numbers of employees over $100,000. The commenters seem to have reversed the administration and union positions.==

Out of 147 positions over $100K base salary, 109 fall under Prof, Assoc Prof, Assistant Prof, Lecturer, or Instructor.

I agree with your overall assessment though. Do you feel this is also an inter-generational fight? It seems as though in higher ed, younger folks have been shouldering most of the work with little promise they will have the same “traditional” professor lifestyle their predecessors enjoyed.

Comment by City Zen Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 3:41 pm
==Out of 147 positions over $100K base salary, 109 fall under Prof, Assoc Prof, Assistant Prof, Lecturer, or Instructor.==

Yes, and these are disproportionately in the College of Business where they may, despite their high salaries, be being paid less than at other schools.

WIU administrators would like to increase the salaries of this group. To gain money for this they propose reducing minimum salaries.

So it is not exactly intergenerational. Those with the most to lose are young professors outside of the business school, who suddenly have years and years of dramatically lower salaries to look forward to. Those with the most to gain are young professors in the College of Business, who can now hope for steady raises.

Comment by anotherWIUprof Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 3:59 pm
“The response to an institution not spending all the money allocated it has historically”

I believe this was before the nuclear option became available to the state. There is no historical reference for where we are at. I personally believe it would be irresponsible to not fund a reserve account. We can’t just hope or assume we will get funding. Any president who did such a thing would be crucified if (when) funding dries up.

I agree that funding needs to go to recruitment, but we also need to have everyone at the university be involved in this, and to take some ownership.

Comment by Bombers Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 4:14 pm
==We can’t just hope or assume we will get funding. Any president who did such a thing would be crucified if (when) funding dries up.==

Well, no argument there. But a reserve is the wrong solution. The ability to respond to fiscal shocks can be built into the contract by, for example, allowing for furloughs or delayed paychecks when needed to make payroll.

Those are just examples, but the goal should be to institute something functionally equivalent to a reserve without actually having an account full of unspent money.

Comment by anotherWIUprof Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 4:42 pm
Why won’t the WIU Administrators take the same pay cut they are asking union members to take? They started at asking us to take a 28% pay decrease and have come down to 2%. Good leaders lead by example and we will follow. We aren’t even discussing a raise for two years, just asking them to honor the contract they made to restore our 3% give back for the last two years. We aren’t demanding money we are demanding fair.

Comment by bad leaders, UPI leads Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 4:48 pm
Seems like too many universities in Illinois. With a declining population we need to reconsider the value of the ordinals and repurpose the revenues to the institutions that ca be saved.

Trying to save all will blow up more schools than needed.

Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 6:11 pm
….Bad Leaders, UPI leads…..

I would guess that the administrators who permanently had their contracts shortened and lost 8% of their salary would welcome your concept of shared sacrifice.

Comment by Bombers Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 8:23 pm
I just counted the over 100000 in faculty and got around 90. There is a larger number in the Business and Technology. As for the rest a lot of those have been there many years

Comment by Not a Billionaire Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 9:04 pm