Strike at UIC postponed
Struggle for contracts continues
Chicago, IL – 2700 workers at the University of Illinois-Chicago were poised to strike Aug. 23. Last minute meetings between the officers of the union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 and the university president resulted in an agreement to call off the strike.
In a membership meeting held the day before the threatened start of the strike, the elected bargaining committees agreed on bottom lines for going back to the table to finish the three contracts for clerical, service and technical workers. The workers also agreed to a limit of 30 days from the start of bargaining to bring back a final agreement.
Finally, the workers summed up that the administration made a significant new offer because of their fear of the strike. Only preparation to strike made management move, and if an agreement isn’t reached, workers could again be making picket signs.