Contract Negotiations Status

These negotiations are regarding wages and other terms and conditions for a successor agreement to the contract that expired on June 30, 2023. The contract is automatically extended while negotiations continue.

The University is happy to share that, earlier today (March 1, 2024), members of Service Employees International Union Local 73, the Union that represents the Graduate Teaching Assistants at Illinois State, ratified the University’s February 21, 2024, offer. This ratification draws negotiations to a close. The resulting contract agreement is effective March 1, 2024, with some stipend increases retroactive prior to this date, and expires in June 2026.

Over the following weeks, Human Resources will work with the Graduate School and other campus partners to implement this contract. Once available, the new contract book will be posted to the Human Resources webpage  and an updated Graduate School Handbook will be posted on the Graduate School’s  webpage.

Following is a summary of the stipend increases and other key components of the compensation package contained in the ratified contract:

For all current GTAs, effective retroactively to August 1, 2023, or the start of the GTA’s current appointment, whichever is later:
- The Master’s minimum stipend at 0.50 FTE (20 hours/week) will increase to $1,430/month ($12,870 over a nine-month appointment)
- The Ph.D. minimum stipend at 0.50 FTE (20 hours/week) will increase to $1,530/month ($13,770 over a nine-month appointment)
- Current GTAs making below the applicable new minimum stipend will receive the applicable new minimum stipend:
  - Current GTAs with a different FTE will receive a proportional increase.
  - Any current GTA who does not receive at least a 3.5% increase as a result of being brought up to the new minimum will instead receive a 3.5% increase.
- Current GTAs making above the new minimum stipend will receive a 3.5% increase.
Effective August 1, 2024, minimum stipends and stipends for returning GTAs will increase by an additional 3.0%.
Effective August 1, 2025, minimum stipends and stipends for returning GTAs will increase by an additional 2.5%.
All graduate teaching assistants will continue to receive a full tuition waiver, regardless of FTE.
The fee waiver of 10% of the cost of mandatory student fees, up to nine credit hours in the fall semester and nine credit hours in the spring semester, will increase to 15% in Spring 2024, 25% in Fall 2024, and 30% in Fall 2025.

We are pleased to provide this good news and are happy that, after almost a year of negotiations, we were able to reach an agreement that is competitive, sustainable, and fiscally responsible.

To learn more about negotiations, please visit this FAQ. To learn more about the role of the GTA, please click here.

Last Updated 3/1/24