EDWARDSVILLE, IL – The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Faculty Association is staging a sit in today in the provost’s office as the association and administration hold bargaining session.
The faculty association has been bargaining with the university for more than a year and has been working without a contract since June 30. The two sides returned to bargaining on April 13.
“We have been bargaining for more than a year and while we have made progress, the faculty are not willing to settle for raises that place us behind our peer institutions and do not show respect for the essential contributions faculty make to student learning.” said faculty association President Ed Navarre, Ph.D.
Faculty will hold the sit in at 3:30 p.m. at the provost’s office while bargaining continues today.
“We need the administration to understand that we are the university, and SIUE works because we do,” said Distinguished Research Professor and Chief Negotiator Kim Archer, Ph.D. “Faculty are here today to send the message that we are here for the students and we are here for each other. Continued austerity cuts to graduate assistantships and stagnant faculty salaries will not solve the budget issues of SIUE. But starving programs of resources will kill innovation, core teaching and, certainly, morale. We have professors who would be considered ‘needy’ by SIUE financial aid standards if they sent their child to college here and we cannot continue to grow the university without the financial support to faculty and programs.”
The SIUE Faculty Association represents over 400 faculty who together with their sibling union the Non Tenure Track Faculty Association support the education of over 12,000 students in the 2022-2023 academic year.
President Navarre and Chief Negotiator Archer will be available to speak to members of the press at 5 p.m. They will be outside Rendelmann Hall near the “E” sculpture.
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At 135,000 members strong, the Illinois Education Association (IEA) is the largest union in Illinois. The IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty and support staff, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
