Chronology of Negotiations
Contract negotiations between Illinois State University and SEIU Local 73 began on March 13, 2023. The following Chronology of Negotiations will be periodically updated as negotiations continue.
Timeline
March 1, 2024
On 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.
More information on the agreement can be found here.
February 21, 2024
On February 21, 2024, the University and Service Employees International Union, the union representing ISU’s Graduate Teaching Assistants, reached agreement on a new contract, subject to ratification by the Union’s membership. The Union has agreed to support and recommend ratification of the settlement agreement, and ratification results are expected on or before March 1, 2024. Additional details regarding the settlement agreement will be provided at a later date.
January 26, 2024
On Friday, January 26, the parties met for their 21st session and their 9th session with a federal mediator. During this mediation session, a face-to-face meeting was delayed due to the presence of non-bargaining unit members with the Union, an issue that was resolved between the Union and the federal mediator. Once a face-to-face meeting commenced (without the non-bargaining unit members present), the Union presented a counterproposal valued significantly higher than ISU's last, best and final offer as presented on October 27. The university countered with two changes that do not increase the overall cost of its October 27th last, best, and final offer. The University reiterated its request that the union present the offer to its membership for a vote. The parties have scheduled a call with the federal mediator for Friday, February 2, to discuss next steps.
January 9, 2024
The parties scheduled an additional session with the impartial federal mediator for January 26, 2024.
December 12, 2023
The parties met for their 20th negotiation session and eighth session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. The Union was not prepared to fully respond to the University’s October 27 last, best, and final offer, and the parties agreed to schedule one additional mediation session in January. Following this meeting the University offered eight (8) potential meeting dates for the Union to consider.
November 17, 2023
The parties have scheduled an additional negotiation session with the impartial federal mediator for December 12, 2023.
November 9, 2023
The Union has not brought the University’s October 27 last, best, and final offer to its membership for a vote.Instead, the Union distributed a news release indicating they do not intend to “vote on the employer’s last offer at this time.” The University contacted the Union to discuss next steps in negotiations.
October 30, 2023
The parties met for their 19th negotiation session. The federal mediator was unable to attend this session. Following discussion between the parties concerning the University’s October 27, 2023, last, best, and final proposal, the Union advised ISU that it will review the University’s last, best, and final proposal with its membership.
October 27, 2023
The parties met for their 18th negotiation session and seventh session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. Significant progress was made. ISU presented a full settlement proposal, the Union responded, and ISU presented a last, best, and final proposal. ISU’s October 27 last, best, and final proposal is a fair and fiscally responsible offer that meets the needs of all stakeholders. ISU requested that the Union bring this proposal to its membership for a vote.
October 25, 2023
The parties met for their 17th negotiation session and sixth session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. Significant progress was made. ISU presented a full settlement proposal and the Union responded.
October 17, 2023
The parties met for their 16th negotiation session and fifth session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. The parties discussed multiple open proposals. The Union formally rejected the University’s September 29th compensation offer and provided a revised proposal on compensation.
September 29, 2023
The parties met for their 15th negotiation session and fourth session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. The session was amicable. The parties discussed multiple open proposals, and the University offered a new counterproposal on compensation.
September 25, 2023
The parties met for their 14th negotiation session and third session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. The session was amicable and the parties discussed multiple open proposals.
September 1, 2023
The parties met for their 13th negotiation session and second session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. The session was productive and amicable. The parties tentatively scheduled additional sessions with the mediator for Monday, September 25, and Friday, September 29.
August 4, 2023
The Union requested to cancel the mediation session scheduled for Thursday, August 10, 2023.
July 27, 2023
The parties met for their 12th negotiation session and first session with the assistance of an impartial federal mediator. The session was productive and amicable. The parties mutually scheduled additional sessions with the mediator for Thursday, August 10 and Friday, September 1.
July 21, 2023
The Union requested to cancel the negotiation session scheduled for July 26, 2023.
July 18, 2023
Mediation will begin during the previously scheduled July 27, 2023, negotiation session. The University is committed to continued negotiations leading up to mediation, and an additional negotiation session remains scheduled for July 26, the day before mediation begins.
July 13, 2023
The Union requested to cancel the negotiation session scheduled for July 14, 2023.
July 10, 2023
The parties will engage an independent and impartial mediator to assist the parties in reaching a contract agreement.
June 22, 2023
The parties scheduled an additional negotiation session for July 14, 2023.
June 14, 2023
The parties met for their 11th negotiation session. The University presented its third revision of a counterproposal covering Union participation in University orientations for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), and the parties agreed to implement the provisions of this counterproposal beginning in the fall 2023 semester. Normally, neither party will agree to implement negotiated changes until contract negotiations have concluded and the bargaining unit has ratified the changes to the contract; however, in an effort to advance the bargaining process, the University agreed to the Union’s request to do so in this case.
June 12, 2023
The parties met for their tenth negotiation session. The University presented a counterproposal covering several topics, and the parties spent a majority of the session discussing this counterproposal. The parties also scheduled additional negotiation sessions for July 26 and July 27, 2023.
June 6, 2023
The parties met for their ninth negotiation session, again held in-person and via Zoom. The Union presented a revised proposal, and the parties discussed this revision. The parties also discussed several other Union proposals and reached a tentative agreement on language addressing one of these proposals. The University also again asked the Union to provide potential dates for additional meetings in July.
May 24, 2023
The parties met for their eighth negotiation session, held in person and via Zoom so that bargaining team members who were not in the Bloomington/Normal area could participate. ISU Vice President of Finance and Planning Dan Stephens provided an hour-long overview of ISU’s various funding sources; Mr. Stephens and the University bargaining team remained for an additional 45 minutes (15 minutes past the session’s scheduled end time) to answer related questions from the Union bargaining team. The parties also agreed on dates and times for three additional negotiation sessions in June. The University again asked the Union to provide potential dates for additional meetings in July.
May 23, 2023
SEIU provided potential dates for additional meetings in June.
May 11, 2023
ISU and SEIU Local 73 scheduled a 90-minute session for May 24, 2023, which will feature a presentation by Dan Stephens, ISU Vice President of Finance and Planning. The University again asked the Union to provide potential dates for additional meetings in June and July, so the parties could begin the process of scheduling summer meetings.
May 10, 2023
SEIU provided potential dates for the additional meeting in May.
May 2, 2023
The parties met for their seventh negotiation session. The parties spent the majority of the session discussing two topics, and the University presented and discussed counterproposals on both of these topics. The University again asked for an additional date to meet in May. The parties also expressed a mutual interest in additional meetings over the summer; the Union committed to provide their availability for potential meeting dates to begin the scheduling process.
April 27, 2023
The parties met for their sixth negotiation session. The parties continued discussions regarding both University and Union proposals, and the Union presented a revised proposal. The session was scheduled through 4:30 pm. At 3:25 pm the Union notified the University that their bargaining team was unable to meet after 3:30 pm. The University requested that SEIU provide availability for an additional session in May, and the Union committed to provide their availability for a potential meeting date.
April 18, 2023
The Union requested to cancel a negotiation session scheduled for April 19, 2023.
April 13, 2023
The parties met for their fifth negotiation session. The parties continued discussions regarding both University and Union proposals, with the Union asking a number of clarifying questions and further clarifying their own position on some proposals.
April 6, 2023
The parties met for their fourth negotiation session. ISU responded to a majority of the union’s proposals and presented ISU’s initial proposals. ISU also discussed working towards resolution of non-economic topics before addressing compensation and other economic topics.
March 28, 2023
The parties met for their third negotiation session. The parties continued preliminary discussions regarding the union’s proposals with ISU asking a number of clarifying questions.
March 21, 2023
The parties met for their second negotiation session. The parties continued preliminary discussions regarding the union’s proposals with ISU asking a number of clarifying questions.
March 13, 2023
The parties met for their first negotiation session. The parties mutually agreed upon negotiations ground rules and the Union presented proposals covering 14 unique topics, including stipends, student fees, union orientations, leave, and grievance procedures.
March 10, 2023
ISU and SEIU Local 73 mutually agreed to schedule an eighth negotiation session prior to the end of the spring semester, on May 2, 2023.
March 2, 2023
ISU and SEIU Local 73 mutually agreed to start negotiations on March 13, 2023, and scheduled six additional negotiations sessions through the end of the spring semester.