With the largest labor strike of the Obama presidency days away, University of Illinois-Chicago leadership late last week budged from its zero-pay-increase stance and closer to a tentative agreement with Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

As of late Friday, 3,000 civil service employees in the clerical, service and technical departments of UIC were prepared to strike for three days, beginning Monday. Two rallies were scheduled, and word was out the strike was on.

Local 73 president Christine Boardman that afternoon recommitted workers to a strike in an effort to show unity. Before the night was out, the strike was called off. At the time Boardman was in direct talks with UIC President Michael Hogan.

“It went to the last minute,” said Local 73 spokesperson Adam Rosen. “We were prepared to go [on strike] all week.”

Hogan was at the center of complaints by Local 73 the week before after he and other university administrators failed to show up at a special hearing of the Senate Higher Education Committee that features more than 90 minutes of union testimony, claiming university misuse of job titles to push civil service workers out of UIC employ.

The strike would have been a first at UIC and the largest in the nation since at least the fall of 2008. Strike notice was given Aug. 6 and stems from the lack of a contract, a requested 8.25-percent pay raise, continued step increases and claims that UIC has been hard at work union-busting for 10 years.

Rosen did not offer details from the talks, which he said directly stopped the strike, but did say enough details were gained that Local 73 felt a tentative agreement was possible. Regarding Local 73’s proposed 8.25-percent pay increase over three years, Rosen said UIC put something else on the table.

“It’s better than the zero that they were offering,” Rosen said.

Bargaining units geared up for rallies at the medical center were notified that the strike was called off, and the membership heard details Sunday. “They were supportive,” Rosen said.

The university offered a second olive branch and a newfound willingness to discuss union complaints of job erosion “rather than continue to sweep it under the rug,” Rosen said.

A date for future talks and the creation of a tentative contract is not yet on the calendar. But, if talks continue within the month, Local 73 can know talks are going in the right direction, Rosen said.

Contact: gskinner@chicagojournal.com