SEIU Local 73 Bargaining Committee Reaches Tentative Agreement With UIUC

Last Friday, the UIUC bargaining committee, which represents over 800 building service and food service workers at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, came to a tentative agreement with management. SEIU Local 73 members at the university will now have the chance to vote on it. Between August 24-26, members can vote on-the-clock and in-person. Online voting will run from August 27-29.

Through members’ strength and willingness to take action, they have won unprecedented concessions. The UIUC bargaining committee therefore recommends a YES vote on the new contract, which includes the following:

• Across-the-board hourly raises of $1.25 in year one, and $1.25 in year two, which is a combined wage increase of $2.50 throughout the contract. For most, that’s 7-8% increase, which is over twice the campus wage this year alone. For some members in their first year, it’s 10%.
• Deep nights differential goes from 26-cents to $1
• Daytime parking fees frozen at the current .9% for the first year (.94% the second year).
• Multi-lot parking: Dining & Housing BSWs can park in any lot on a list, F&S can be added to a park-anywhere list if they need it.
• BSWs can wear shorts year-round except for three days’ notice (special events, safety), and FSWs can wear light clothing year-round.
• BSWs skipped for overtime get a makeup OT shift, scheduled within two weeks, at a “mutually agreeable” time and date.
• No more post-accident drug-testing (testing only if you fail a checklist with two bosses present and if a steward is available)
• No need to call in each day if you know you’re going to be out sick multiple days