October 2, 2025
On September 30, the collective bargaining agreement for our unionized faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences expired. The University offered to extend the current contract during ongoing negotiations to ensure stability for everyone. However, the union bargaining committee informed the University’s bargaining team that they are “not interested in a further extension.” As a result, while the current contract terms remain in effect, the no-strike and arbitration provisions in the contract are not enforceable.
Even in these circumstances, the University’s commitment is unchanged: we want to reach an agreement that supports a thriving, respected, and well-compensated faculty community. Since February, there have been 21 bargaining sessions. During that time, the union and University have reached nine non-economic tentative agreements. However, no new agreements have been achieved since June, and the University is still waiting on several economic counterproposals from the union to continue productive dialogue.
With respect to compensation and workload, however, there remains a fundamental difference in understanding between the union bargaining committee and the University’s bargaining team of what is possible. The union’s economic proposals seek extraordinary concessions, with little movement in their counterproposals. At a time when universities nationwide are facing unprecedented federal funding cuts and serious enrollment threats, proposals of this magnitude are simply unreasonable. Responsible leadership requires balancing support for our faculty with longer-term stability for the institution and the students we serve.
After initially demanding a 35 percent increase in minimum full-time NTT pay, the union countered with a 32 percent pay increase–plus additional annual raises they themselves described as “dramatic.” At the same time, the union continued to propose a 25 percent reduction in teaching loads, while maintaining the generous teaching load reduction policies. In addition, the union has proposed an extra 4.6 percent annual raise after the first year of the contract, along with the annual raises offered to all members of our community. The union’s proposal would break with the previous two collective bargaining agreements, which provided the same percentage annual raises as all other faculty and staff.
In the University’s most recent proposal, we offered to increase minimum pay rates for full-time NTT faculty by 6.8 percent. Likewise, as we have done since the first CBA in 2018, we offered to extend the same annual percentage raises to unionized faculty as we do to all other faculty and staff. We made this offer knowing that our unionized faculty members are already compensated above average for non-tenure-track faculty at peer institutions. In the face of shrinking federal support and declining student enrollment across higher education, this offer reflects a fair, sustainable approach that protects both our faculty and the University’s future.
Consistent with the prior two collective bargaining agreements, the University seeks to maintain the full-time NTT teaching loads at 4:4, while continuing our current policies that allow for generous reductions to teaching load. In fact, under the current CBA, nearly 50 percent of our full-time NTT faculty taught less than a 4:4 load in the 2024-25 academic year, with many faculty receiving more than one course reduction.
Our compensation levels remain strong even in this difficult climate. In addition to our current full-time NTT faculty salaries being above average, our part-time NTT faculty are among the highest paid part-time faculty in Chicago. Our commitment to maintaining these competitive salaries demonstrates our respect for the contributions of all faculty.
The University will continue to respond to and present proposals with the well-being of the students, faculty and the entire university front of mind. We look forward to reaching a mutual agreement.
On September 30, the collective bargaining agreement for our unionized faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences expired. The University offered to extend the current contract during ongoing negotiations to ensure stability for everyone. However, the union bargaining committee informed the University’s bargaining team that they are “not interested in a further extension.” As a result, while the current contract terms remain in effect, the no-strike and arbitration provisions in the contract are not enforceable.
Even in these circumstances, the University’s commitment is unchanged: we want to reach an agreement that supports a thriving, respected, and well-compensated faculty community. Since February, there have been 21 bargaining sessions. During that time, the union and University have reached nine non-economic tentative agreements. However, no new agreements have been achieved since June, and the University is still waiting on several economic counterproposals from the union to continue productive dialogue.
With respect to compensation and workload, however, there remains a fundamental difference in understanding between the union bargaining committee and the University’s bargaining team of what is possible. The union’s economic proposals seek extraordinary concessions, with little movement in their counterproposals. At a time when universities nationwide are facing unprecedented federal funding cuts and serious enrollment threats, proposals of this magnitude are simply unreasonable. Responsible leadership requires balancing support for our faculty with longer-term stability for the institution and the students we serve.
After initially demanding a 35 percent increase in minimum full-time NTT pay, the union countered with a 32 percent pay increase–plus additional annual raises they themselves described as “dramatic.” At the same time, the union continued to propose a 25 percent reduction in teaching loads, while maintaining the generous teaching load reduction policies. In addition, the union has proposed an extra 4.6 percent annual raise after the first year of the contract, along with the annual raises offered to all members of our community. The union’s proposal would break with the previous two collective bargaining agreements, which provided the same percentage annual raises as all other faculty and staff.
In the University’s most recent proposal, we offered to increase minimum pay rates for full-time NTT faculty by 6.8 percent. Likewise, as we have done since the first CBA in 2018, we offered to extend the same annual percentage raises to unionized faculty as we do to all other faculty and staff. We made this offer knowing that our unionized faculty members are already compensated above average for non-tenure-track faculty at peer institutions. In the face of shrinking federal support and declining student enrollment across higher education, this offer reflects a fair, sustainable approach that protects both our faculty and the University’s future.
Consistent with the prior two collective bargaining agreements, the University seeks to maintain the full-time NTT teaching loads at 4:4, while continuing our current policies that allow for generous reductions to teaching load. In fact, under the current CBA, nearly 50 percent of our full-time NTT faculty taught less than a 4:4 load in the 2024-25 academic year, with many faculty receiving more than one course reduction.
Our compensation levels remain strong even in this difficult climate. In addition to our current full-time NTT faculty salaries being above average, our part-time NTT faculty are among the highest paid part-time faculty in Chicago. Our commitment to maintaining these competitive salaries demonstrates our respect for the contributions of all faculty.
The University will continue to respond to and present proposals with the well-being of the students, faculty and the entire university front of mind. We look forward to reaching a mutual agreement.