Three bargaining units of Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union this week began another round of talks with leadership at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

The talks come following Local 73’s threat of a three-day strike, with public rallies well into the 11th hour late last month on claims of unequal pay compared to their cohorts at the Urbana campus, claims of union busting and claims of racism high in UIC management.

With 3,000 members committed to the strike, it would have been the largest strike in the nation in recent years. During the weeks leading up to the August strike notice, Local 73 filed an unfair labor practice lawsuit on claims that UIC was not negotiating in good faith.

Local 73 spokesperson Adam Rosen said bargaining began with technical workers Wednesday. Service and maintenance workers get their chance to negotiate on Sept. 14 and 15, respectively.

Membership gave bargaining units 30 days after talks begin to come up with a final agreement, Rosen said.

Local 73 is after an 8.25 percent pay increase over three years and a reversal of union job flight into the non-unionized academic professional status they say is being misused. UIC leadership cites legal battles and negotiations as cause for their public silence on the claims of union busting and pay issues by union members and officials.

“That agreement would be voted on in a secret ratification vote by the membership shortly after,” Rosen said.