UIC workers on strike
05/30/2012 2:33 PM
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Nearly 500 workers on the University of Illinois at Chicago’s medical faculty went on strike Wednesday to protest their contract negotiations.
The workers, called the UIC Professionals and represented by the SEIU, said they’ve been negotiating with university management for 14 months on a new contract.
They claim that talks broke down two months ago when management “failed to deliver a fair wage proposal which recognizes the work of all Professionals.”
Striking employees include medical technologists at UIC Medical Center, IT specialists on campus, and about 100 employees at the school’s Division of Specialized Care for Children in 13 offices around the state.
“Many of us have not seen a wage increase in six years, and we feel we are not valued and respected on the job,” said Diana Thomas, a communications specialist at UIC.
An around-the-clock picket was scheduled to start 7 a.m. Wednesday and end at 6 p.m. Friday, June 1, pending a new deal.