Strike Facts

Correcting the Record on Faculty Union Statements – What They’re Saying vs the Facts

Members of University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100 (UPI) have claimed that they are the lowest paid faculty in the state. This IS NOT TRUE.  The claim is simply not supported by either facts or the data. This, and other false claims, are part of a negotiation strategy and it is time to separate fact from fiction.


A: NO. According to publicly-available salary data published by the Illinois Board of Higher Education for FY2021, the average faculty salary at CSU is right in the middle-range (6th highest ranked) in comparison to the average faculty salary across all Illinois public universities. The claim that our faculty are the lowest paid or among the lowest paid is FALSE and not supported by evidence.

Additionally, according to data from the National Education Association (NEA), CSU had the 2nd largest percent increase in salaries between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 (among the doctoral degree-granting institutions in IL) and the third highest percentage increase out of all colleges and universities in the state.

A: YES. Classes are taking place and students should still attend their classes. The University is working hard to ensure classes are covered and students are receiving instruction. It is against the law for striking faculty to tell their students that class is canceled or to change the modality of a class.
A: NO. UPI faculty salaries raises are not the only item on the bargaining table; the raises are part of a larger comprehensive and financial package that isn’t fully represented by the number UPI is citing. Many items we tentatively agreed upon have real financial costs that impact CSU, including reduction in faculty workload, paid family leave, and release time. UPI’s current demand package equals $12.09 million and the difference between the total fiscal impact of UPI’s proposal and CSU’s proposal is $4.63 million over four years.
A: Capital improvements on our campus are paid for and controlled by a separate State of Illinois entity called the Capital Development Board (CDB). The CDB has its own Board of Directors that must approve and pay for construction projects like our refurbished parking lots and new light poles. This separate State budget is not controlled by CSU. These funds are exclusively controlled by CDB for specific projects taking place at CSU.

A: UPI is asking CSU to agree to a wage package that is higher than the one recently agreed to at the University of Illinois-Chicago, despite the fact that the amount of UIC’s financial resources far exceeds CSU’s. To put this in perspective:

  • UIC has a nearly 12x larger student population than CSU;
  • UIC’s endowment is 40x larger than CSU’s; and
  • UIC’s state appropriation is more than five times larger than CSU’s (UIC: $200 million, CSU: $38 million).

A: YES. CSU has held and actively participated in more than 20 negotiation sessions with the Union bargaining team. We have made substantial progress. We have reached  tentative agreements on TWELVE items with UPI, with 4 issues outstanding. The University has negotiated in good faith with the Union and remains at the bargaining table – that is where all of our energy should be focused, not on an unnecessary strike. No one wins during a strike – not the faculty, not the university, and certainly not the students. We remain committed to negotiating a fair contract that recognizes the dedication and needs of our faculty, while ensuring CSU's long-term financial health and the continued provision of the high-quality educational services our students deserve.

Throughout this process, CSU has proposed many measures to help us reach a fair agreement, including bringing in a federal mediator and proposing interest arbitration. With interest arbitration, both parties submit evidence-based arguments before a neutral third-party and avoid or pause a strike. Unfortunately, while the Union agreed to the services of a federal mediator, they rejected the idea of submitting the few remaining issues to a neutral, third-party arbitrator.

A: NO. Under labor laws, UPI members cannot pick and choose which job obligations or duties they wish to continue fulfilling. This is called intermittent striking, which is not protected under the law and may force the University to take appropriate action against both the Union and/or any violative staff. CSU welcomes all UPI members who do not wish to participate in the strike to continue teaching and fulfilling the full requirements of their jobs.

We hope we can resolve the few remaining items in negotiations and come to a swift resolution. Our top priority remains supporting our students and ensuring they continue to receive a world-class education. We will continue to provide updates to our campus community at csu.edu/bargaining.