Frequently Asked Questions

It means the University has presented the complete and final package it is prepared to offer in these negotiations. After 42 bargaining sessions over nearly 17 months, including twelve with a federal mediator, the University has made a strong commitment across compensation, workload, benefits, and job protections.

The University has moved substantially toward the Union throughout bargaining and has either tentative agreements or strong alignment on most articles opened for negotiation.

However, on the remaining economic articles, the position of the Union continued to be too far from where the University is willing to go.

The University’s offer represents the amounts it will responsibly commit to while maintaining fairness and consistency across all Loyola faculty. Presenting a final offer gives faculty certainty about exactly what the offer entails and lets members make an informed decision.

No. The University has bargained in good faith across 42 sessions over nearly 17 months and remains willing to meet its legal obligations. The University has been clear throughout bargaining that it will not continue adding costs beyond what is responsible and fair to all faculty – especially given the current headwinds facing all higher education institutions.

The University has steadily moved closer to the Union’s position over the course of bargaining. The parties have reached ten tentative agreements and are largely aligned on another four. Three articles and one proposed side letter remain unresolved.

The University hopes members will have the opportunity to vote on the offer. We will communicate promptly about next steps as the process unfolds.

The University has offered retroactive pay specific to the 3.8% base salary increase for full-time faculty and the 5% increase to salary minimums for full-time faculty back to January 1, 2026, however, this is conditional on an agreement being ratified on or before July 31, 2026.

The open articles still in discussion are the core of the economic package, including Compensation, Workload, Term of Agreement and Parental Leave.

At a high level, the parties differ in their approach to compensation structure. The University's current offer delivers immediate financial benefits and ensures continued compensation growth for both full- and part-time faculty over the course of the agreement. This approach keeps Loyola's compensation at or near the top of the market among peer institutions and maintains how compensation is structured for faculty across the University.

Throughout bargaining, the University has been consistent in one primary point on compensation: we are not prepared to accept changes that create unintended disparities or undermine consistency across Loyola faculty. This longstanding approach to compensation–which has been codified in the CBA since 2018–reflects the University’s commitment to valuing all faculty. 

The University remains committed to good‑faith bargaining and to reaching a fair, sustainable agreement that delivers real benefits while working for the entire Loyola community.

Loyola’s full-time NTT faculty salaries are well above the market average, and our part-time NTT faculty are among the highest paid part-time faculty in Chicago within our competitive peer group.

The University’s last, best, and final offer gives across‑the‑board financial benefits to unionized faculty members across both full- and part-time positions while maintaining the University’s commitment to parity and comparable treatment with faculty across the institution. 

For full‑time non‑tenure‑track faculty

• A 3.8% base salary increase relative to fall 2025 salaries retroactive to January 1, 2026* for all full-time non-tenure-track faculty
• A 5% increase to minimum salaries across full-time ranks retroactive to January 1, 2026*
• Promotion-based salary increases of up to 35%, meaning a Teaching Assistant Professor to Teaching Associate Professor receives a $3,375 increase to their salary and Teaching Associate Professor to Teaching Professor receives a $6,750 increase to their salary upon promotion
• Continued access to annual merit increases, consistent with how compensation works across Loyola

*Retroactivity is conditional on ratification of the new agreement on or before July 31, 2026.

For part‑time and hourly faculty

• A one-time signing bonus for part-time and hourly faculty, with a top amount of $1,200, and scaled by teaching load, paid upon execution of an agreement
• Automatic annual increases to stipends and hourly rates, tied to the full merit pool percentage (these increases are built in, not discretionary)
• 9% increases to summer and J‑term pay
• Higher course‑cancellation fees and full stipend pay for low‑enrollment courses during regular semesters

For temporary faculty

• A one-time signing bonus of $1,200 for each full-time temporary faculty
• 1%–11.5% increases to salaries. For example, the salaries for temporary full-time faculty continuing for another year will range from $58,500 to $65,000. For those without a terminal degree, stipends will range from $56,500 to $63,000. 
• Automatic annual increases going forward based on the annual merit pool percentage

The University believes deeply in fairness, not just to our unionized faculty, but to every member of our University community. Maintaining this parity with all other University faculty has been the agreed upon approach for the last seven years.

As a result, our part-time faculty stipends are at the top of the local Chicago market, and our current proposal would maintain this position by continuing to increase part-time pay by the same percentage that non-union faculty receive. 

Similarly, our full-time NTT salaries are above average, and our current proposal to provide a 3.8% base salary increase relative to fall 2025 salaries for all full-time non-tenure-track, raise the minimum salaries for various ranks and length of service by 5%, and continue annual increases through the merit pool and automatic annual increases to the salary minimums, are intended to keep our full-time compensation in the desired range.

Throughout bargaining, the University has been consistent in one primary point on compensation: we are not prepared to accept changes that create unintended disparities or undermine consistency across Loyola faculty. This longstanding approach to compensation – which has been codified in the CBA since 2018 – reflects the University’s commitment to valuing all faculty.

During a bargaining session on December 8, 2025, the University requested to bring in a professional mediator to assist in reaching an agreement and the Union agreed. After productive discussions on many non-economic aspects of the contract, both parties determined that a mediator could help facilitate progress on the remaining complex, mainly economic, issues.

A federal mediator is a neutral third party who helps support productive conversation and movement toward agreement. Mediators are commonly used in collective bargaining and are provided through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service at no cost to either party.

The parties reach 10 non-economic tentative agreements (TAs) covering key operational areas, specific articles include:

• Faculty Evaluations
• Course Cancellation Fee
• Space
• Visa Sponsorship and Immigration
• Promotions
• Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination
• Academic Freedom
• Personnel Files
• Union Rights and Management Rights
• Grievance and Arbitration

Beyond the 10 current non-economic tentative agreements, other areas of progress include:

• Expanded course releases for full-time faculty, with the cumulative effect that approximately 72% of full‑time facultywould teach seven courses annually.
• A 100% increase in professional development fundingavailable and an annual 5% escalator to increase the total fund amount should the total funds be expended.
• Individual faculty members eligible for professional development funding awards up to $1,250.
• Improved protections for part‑time faculty, including a higher course cancellation fee and full stipend pay for courses with low enrollment during regular semesters.
• Removed some limits on temporary roles to make longer‑term employment more realistic and made clearer commitments to creating pathways into full‑time roles.
• Expanded workload flexibility for part‑time faculty, allowing more hours to engage in additional work.
• Increased paid parental leave benefits for Adjunct II and Adjunct I faculty to receive four weeks of paid parental leave. This may be used in conjunction with sick and paid leave. Full-time faculty continue to receive 16 weeks of paid parental leave, consistent with the University policy.
• Ensured protected leaves such as parental leave are fully recognized and do not interrupt faculty status for part-time NTT faculty.

SEIU Local 73 represents some non-tenure-track full- and part-time faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).

Since 2018, Loyola has maintained a good working relationship with the union and successfully negotiated two prior contracts. Loyola’s management team has been negotiating in good faith since February 2025 on a third agreement. 

Negotiations began in February 2025 and are ongoing.

Scheduled sessions are posted here.

You may contact the LUC Bargaining Team for CAS at CASbargaining@luc.edu. All submissions are reviewed, and responses will be shared with those that are most relevant or frequently asked.

The 2021 collective bargaining agreement is available linked here.