Striking tenure/tenure track faculty continued to walk the picket line on Friday, the 15^th day of the UIS United Faculty strike.  Negotiations earlier in the week resulted in little to no progress, as the University doubled down on its financial limitations and striking faculty increasingly call for UIS Chancellor Janet Gooch’s removal.

In an attempt to gain an audience with the Chancellor, 12 striking UIS faculty members occupied the lobby of the Chancellor’s office for three hours on Friday. According to union members, they were told by staff that Gooch was unavailable, and they were eventually asked to leave the office.

“We are disappointed that the Chancellor remains unavailable in this painful and important time,” said a statement on the United Faculty Facebook page.

Breakdown in negotiations

According to the University’s collective bargaining page, the union bargaining team walked out of Wednesday’s session without confirming the next meeting time.

Posts on the United Faculty Facebook page claim the UIS Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Drew Schlosser, abruptly canceled the bargaining meeting for Thursday, hours before it was scheduled to occur.

Both sides maintain their desire for ongoing and good-faith negotiations and indicate that they are not at fault for the breakdown in communications. The union criticizes university leaders, such as Gooch, for not attending bargaining meetings in person.

“The university hopes the union confirms attendance and returns to active negotiations,” said the university’s collective bargaining page, last updated on Thursday.

“It is long since passed time for Chancellor Gooch to tell her well-fed and over-paid underlings to get to the bargaining table and settle a fair contract for UIS faculty,” said a post on the Untied Faculty Facebook page from April 16.

According to a union newsletter, striking United Faculty members held a membership meeting on Wednesday, where they voted to continue the strike and ongoing negotiations until their demands are met.

“We know it is worth it. We are hopeful, after many hours of bargaining, that Gooch will end the strike soon, and we will all get the resources to flourish for years to come,” said the newsletter.

Negotiations on faculty salary as well as no-cost issues, such as protections against AI surveillance, stalled as the bargaining teams seemingly reach an impasse.

Student leaders weigh in

In a statement to The Observer signed by a portion of the UIS Student Government Association’s members, the leaders said that students and the student experience remain their primary concern. They encouraged students to contact the SGA with questions or issues relating to academic progress or access to academic resources during the strike.

“Our responsibility is not to take a position on the strike itself, but rather to ensure that student concerns are heard and communicated through the appropriate campus channels,” said the SGA statement, signed by 13 SGA members, including SGA president Jazel Ware-Grant,

The statement invited students to attend the upcoming SGA meeting on April 26 at 6 p.m. in the Student Union North Ballroom if they wish to share their perspectives on the situation or ask questions of their elected student representatives.

The leaders also said that students should keep careful records of how their courses and academics are being affected by the strike, including grading delays, interrupted instructions or changes to course delivery.

“Documenting these experiences can help ensure that student impacts are clearly understood, as our priority remains the overall academic welfare and success of the student body,” the SGA statement said.

The SGA’s statement noted that it only represented the views of 13 SGA members, not the whole group.

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SGA statement to The Observer

As part of the shared governance structure at UIS, SGA’s role is to represent student voices while remaining unbiased in matters related to labor actions and negotiations. Our responsibility is not to take a position on the strike itself, but rather to ensure that student concerns are heard and communicated through the appropriate campus channels.

We care deeply about the well-being and success of our peers, particularly as they work to complete the academic year. During this period, SGA encourages students to share concerns that directly impact their experiences as students, including matters related to coursework, assignments, academic progression, or access to essential academic resources. Our focus remains on listening, advocating, and helping guide these concerns to the offices and individuals best equipped to address them.

Students are welcome and encouraged to share their perspectives, questions, and concerns at our upcoming meeting on April 26th at 6:00 p.m. in the Student Union North Ballroom. This meeting provides an open audience participation for students to be heard and to engage directly with their representatives during this time.

Additionally, students are encouraged to keep personal records of how their courses are being affected throughout this process. This may include experiences related to grading delays, interrupted instruction, or changes to course delivery. Documenting these experiences can help ensure that student impacts are clearly understood, as our priority remains the overall academic welfare and success of the student body.

Please note that this statement reflects the perspectives of the undersigned members and does not represent an official position of the Student Government Association or the General Assembly as a whole.

Best,

Jazel Ware-Grant, Joe Humphrey, Gloria Bajlozi, Caleb Grover, Gabby Przygocki, Deme Dees, Sly Nana, Srushti Ghanshyamgiri Gosai, Vidhathri Sarraf, Victoria Ehiagwina, Corinna Thomas, Minnah Saleh, Anna Lance