NORMAL, Ill. – Officials with Illinois State University say the AFSCME Local 1110 membership has ratified the tentative agreement reached on Monday, after nearly 13 hours of negotiations with the assistance of a federal mediator.
With this ratification, all AFSCME 1110-represented employees are expected to return to work on Wednesday.
In a statement, ISU President Aondover Tarhule says, “I’m pleased the bargaining teams reached agreement and the union members voted to ratify the contract.”
Tarhule notes the efforts of both bargaining teams in working late to reach the agreement and encouraged the campus community to “unite in the spirit of collaboration, respect all individuals’ rights and choices, and work to heal differences of opinion, real or perceived”.
Leading into the last negotiation session, the three remaining key issues were the union’s demands for higher wage increase percentages, retroactive pay to July 1, 2025, and “better of” campus wage program language.
Highlights of the ratified contract include:
- Duration: 5-Years, ending June 30, 2030.
- Wage Increases:
- Effective with ratification: 3.50%.
- July 1, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029: 3.00% annually.
- For the 2028 and 2029 increases, employees will receive the difference if the Campus Wage Program for non-Union employees is higher than the negotiated 3.0% increase.
- Signing Bonus: A $1,500 bonus, payable upon ratification to each of the 350 employees on the bargaining unit (an increase from the previous $600 offer).
- Market Adjustments: Two positions received an additional market adjustment above the negotiated 3.50%, effective upon ratification.
- Shift Differentials: Will increase to $0.40/$0.60 per hour effective July 1, 2028.
