Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday that he wants Illinois State University and the AFSCME union to come back to the negotiating table as the strike enters its fourth week.
Around 350 building, grounds, and dining workers with AFSCME went on strike April 8 after failing to reach a new contract. Pay (retroactive and future raises) is the key sticking point. The two sides haven't met for a negotiating session since April 15.
“All of them need to get back to the bargaining table,” Pritzker said Tuesday in Springfield. “It seems like there is a deal to be made. We want to make sure that happens in an expedited fashion. I do not like the idea that we have people who are not working.”
Pritzker said he supports universities getting more state funding. Pritzker is currently withholding 2% of last year's increase for higher education and has only proposed a 1% increase for this year’s budget. Higher education funding has also not kept up with inflation.
Pritzker said he does not support the use of "strikebreakers" but, due to an ongoing lawsuit, did not comment specifically on ISU's use of external companies to perform custodial and grounds work during the AFSCME strike. AFSCME has sued over what it says is a violation of the state's strikebreakers law. ISU denies breaking the law and has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
“The folks who want to bargain with the enterprise with ISU and ISU’s management and leadership should be at the bargaining table,” Pritzker said. “That’s what should happen and needs to happen ASAP. We shouldn’t have people taking other people’s jobs.”
Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey has also expressed support for the striking employees. He's criticized ISU for not negotiating and criticized Pritzker for not lowering taxes to support families.
Pritzker said he continues to “stand with workers” and has always supported bills to give more protection to workers, along with increasing the minimum wage. He adds that Bailey and Republicans have not supported those bills to expand protection for workers.
Pritzker said he is not currently looking to increase the state’s minimum wage to stay competitive because he wants there to be a federal minimum wage increase first.
Senate committee hearing
As Pritzker gave his remarks Tuesday, a Senate committee hearing about funding for ISU turned quickly into questions about the ongoing strike.
State senators pressed ISU President Aondover Tarhule as both sides grew frustrated with the line of questioning and the answers given. ISU and AFSCME blamed each other for not coming to the negotiating table. AFSCME members attending the committee hearing were visibly frustrated at Tarhule's answers.
Tarhule said the university is willing to come to the negotiating table, but the contract ISU has proposed is the best offer it can financially afford. He said AFSCME's proposal, if accepted, would lead to higher costs for students.
"It will start the university down a downward spiral as tuition goes up, fewer students come, there's less money to support everybody,” Tarhule said.
Tarhule said ISU is willing to negotiate to figure out a wage increase that works for both the university and the striking employees. He added that ISU is not willing to go above its current proposed offer.
Tarhule said ISU has to keep in mind the wages of other employees as they evaluate the competitiveness and financial stability of the university.
“I have to manage multiple needs and competing needs for the university. We can go ahead and offer a bit more now and have to deal with, potentially, more than a $26 million deficit down the road,“ Tarhule said.
Tarhule said he wants to make an agreement that can satisfy both the university and AFSCME members.
When asked by Sen. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, whether ISU hired workers from outside AFSCME to help during the strike, Tarhule acknowledged they did but that they are not paying them “strike prices.”
“My office of General Counsel does not believe that we are using strikebreakers,” Tarhule said.
Tarhule said the legal advice they've received is the contracts with the vendors provide services ISU has a responsibility to provide to students.
Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, asked if Tarhule believes workers should get paid a living wage.
"How do you define a living wage?" Tarhule said.
"A living wage as my definition, enough to support their family, enough to put food on the table, enough where they don't have to borrow from folks just to survive," Jones said.
"So put a number on that," Tarhule said.
"I can't put a number. But do you believe you earn a living wage?" Jones said.
"I do," Tarhule said.
Tarhule was asked by multiple senators if ISU was willing to go back to the negotiating table and Tarhule answered "yes" every time.
AFSCME
Dustin Dawson, an ISU storekeeper with AFSCME, said he works at a warehouse where he drives supplies to Bone Student Center and Thomas Metcalf School. He said he thought Tarhule was dodging questions and was not satisfied with the financial reasons given for ISU’s offer.
Dawson said employees like him play an important role in making sure ISU continues to operate, but he does not feel appreciated by the university.
“Despite our crucial role in keeping the campus working, despite all the knowledge and skills that we have working at that warehouse, despite our dedication to the university, we're at the bottom of the barrel in terms of pay," he said.
Dawson said he wants a living wage so that people can keep their dignity outside of work and not barely scrape by each day.
Dawson said it feels like ISU leaders are ignoring the concerns of employees and more focused on the university's financial situation.
“It feels like we're just numbers, not people. They're trying to wait until we break so that they can force us to take a demand that is unacceptable. Well, the longer they make us wait, the stronger our resolve is going to be," he said.
Dawson said he is lucky enough to also have family supporting him but other AFSCME employees are in a much worse position as the strike continues.
Renee Nestler, staff representative for AFSCME Council 31, said union employees returning to work have been minimal and AFSCME is offering support with strike benefits, which are funded by donations. An ISU spokesperson said "dozens" of AFSCME workers have gone back to work during the strike.
Nestler said that most AFSCME employees are still participating in the strike because of the rhetoric by ISU.
“The more information that ISU puts out that twists and misrepresents what's happening in bargaining, it actually increases our members' resolve to stay on the line because it's infuriating,” Nestler said.
Nestler said ISU has refused to change the final contract it proposed, which was rejected by AFSCME Local 1110 members. Nestler said there are currently no planned negotiation sessions.
“[ISU] need to give us something that will pass our membership. We need to go back to the bargaining table and have meaningful discussions,” Nestler said. “The last two times [AFSCME has] gone, we've left frustrated because [ISU] have not been willing to move.”
AFSCME said the university is taking away long-standard practices like retroactive pay raises. ISU says it told AFSCME back in 2024 that it would "no longer [offer] retroactive pay in future contracts."
Tarhule said that ISU cannot take anything away in a new contract, which made some AFSCME members roll their eyes during the committee hearing.
Sue Parry, an ISU building service worker, said it has been a struggle as the strike continues to pay rent, bills and not be able to talk to the students at the Watterson Towers.
“I really miss my students,” Parry said. “I got three floors of all girls, so I build a good relationship with them.”
Parry said if ISU is able to pay for strikebreakers, then ISU should be able to afford a fair contract.
Democratic state Sen. Dave Koehler and Rep. Sharon Chung, who represent ISU, have supported striking workers by going to rallies.
Along with local lawmakers, statewide politicians like Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Dick Durbin, U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and State Treasurer Michael Frerichs have expressed their support for the striking workers.
