A contract agreement was reached and ratified between Illinois State University and the United Faculty of ISU in April 2025.
Over the summer and fall semester, a fair amount of progress had been made by both ends of the table. ISU Director of Media Relations and Strategic Communications Chris Coplan contributed a statement regarding the conversation between UFISU and ISU.
“All negotiations between Illinois State University and United Faculty of ISU were completed with the ratification of a first contract on Monday, April 14, 2025. The current contract is in effect through June 30, 2028, covering wages and other terms and conditions of employment,” Coplan said.
“Implementation of some contract language, including the development of department workload policies, is still underway as guided by the agreed upon terms and conditions,” he continued.
Two members of UFISU shared an update on the work curated during the course of the year.
UFISU Vice President and Department of History associate professor Keith Pluymers opened with his appreciation in regard to the moment the organization achieved a contract with the university.
“After reaching the tentative agreement, we were riding a huge high. We took the contract to our members, and the membership overwhelmingly voted to ratify the contract, which made it official,” Pluymers said.
UFISU President and Department of Criminal Justice associate professor Ashley Farmer concurred with Pluymers.
“We had worked for, what? 15 months on this contract? And so, you know, you have to celebrate each win as it comes,” Farmer said.
As a majority of students were gone for summer break, UFISU members remained on campus to negotiate a workload policy that would essentially, according to Farmer, “set some parameters around what we’re asked to do as part of our job normally, what we’re asked to do for additional compensation, what the expectations are of our job and the work that we do here.”
As enrollment at ISU continues to increase each year, classes are reaching their capacities. The number of students in the classroom results in additional work for faculty that is not compensated for, as there was previously no workload policy in place.
“I think this is an element that’s happening behind the scenes, but that, in fact, is going to be really important for students to pay attention to as well how this stuff works out in practice … These policies and defining workload becomes a way for us to have conversations about things like class sizes,” Farmer said.
Because of the efforts between UFISU and the university, a policy was landed upon that extends through 2028.
In regard to the contract, no further amendments had been made, as the process of any changes would require a memorandum agreement between both parties. Both the university and UFISU have been putting efforts towards addressing the text of the current contract.
“I think both sides are finding places where stuff is a little bit trickier in practice than we originally thought,” Pluymers said. “I think each side is coming up with ideas for things that might be worth revisiting next time we bargain, if not sooner.”
Farmer added that there are certain items in the contract that work differently in practice rather than on paper. She said both the faculty and administrators have agreed that there will be more attempts made to reach agreements.
“I think it’s on [the administration’s] radar too, and I don’t think that it would be difficult to come to [an] agreement in a future contract,” Farmer said.
According to Farmer, one of the highlights from the contract was creating a committee to address student mental health concerns on campus. The newly formed organization consists of both student and faculty appointees, resulting in a broader range of perspectives to oversee the university.
“I think that’s a good one for students to have on the radar,” Farmer said. “Because one of the goals that we had in our bargaining was to create something that could address student mental health crises and to [find] good solutions to this problem … and so we’re hopeful that the committee can come up with some really good things.”
In addition to the committee, a huge win in Farmer’s eyes included the solidified six-week paid parental leave for faculty members. This was an accomplishment that, according to both Pluymers and Farmer, was great to have emerged from the contract.
“I hope that people are going to feel that sense of pride, but also that they’re really being listened to and respected, and I think that’s something that goes beyond what’s on the page and goes to how people feel when they go into work,” Pluymers said.
Finally, Pluymers talked about the gratitude UFISU has, as they now work with the newly formed ISU Labor Coalition. Now, unions across campus are meeting together on a regular basis to discuss shared concerns.
“We issued a statement to protect the College Ave. fire station in support of our union siblings in IAFF Local 2442, the Normal firefighters,” Pluymers said.
“We have heard about what our union siblings in AFSCME are going through in their contract fight, and what I can say is that we have complete solidarity with our union siblings … they deserve a fair contract that recognizes the essential work they do to keep this university open and to make this university a great place to learn and a great place to work,” Pluymers continued.
Farmer and Pluymers shared their appreciation for the maintained communication between the university and UFISU. According to Farmer, those in the Provost’s office have kept strong open lines of contact.
It is not just the administration UFISU hoped to hold open lines of communication with. It is the surrounding community as well.
According to Pluymers, as the university and the nation are facing issues with federal restrictions on grants, the concern of federal immigration agents in the state and the effect it has on communities, Farmer and Pluymers said they “are here to talk.”
“If this university’s administrators at [any] level want to practice open dialogue with us, I think they will find that we can work together and do our best, if not to solve some of those problems at the cosmic level at which they originate. Then, we can at least work out ways to do our best locally, to make them as good as we can,” Pluymers said.
Farmer included her final thoughts and appreciation toward ISU’s students as well.
“I would just say that we still feel the overwhelming support from students that [were] there, you know, especially towards the end of our contract,” Farmer said. “Students are the lifeblood of this campus … not only is their support critical, but it’s also been much appreciated.”
“I feel like the faculty would say the opposite … like, faculty are always going to have in mind what’s going to work best for students. We’re always trying to strive to do better for students and [create] a better working environment. More broadly, to make this like the place that they want to come to,” Farmer continued.
