College of DuPage faculty members authorize strike

Full-time faculty members at the College of DuPage have voted to authorize a strike, their union announced Thursday morning.

The College of DuPage Faculty Association says its members have been working without a contract since a multiyear pact expired May 31. Negotiations on a new deal started in February.

The vote doesn’t mean a strike is imminent at the state’s largest community college.

“We really don’t want to go on strike, but we will do whatever it takes to make sure our students have access to the services they need and a high-quality education,” union President David Goldberg said in a statement.

The faculty’s bargaining team is required to file a 10-day notice of intent to strike with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board before a walkout can occur at the Glen Ellyn-based school. The union had not yet filed an intent to strike notice.

The strike threat comes about a month after the two sides entered federal mediation. The next mediation session is scheduled for Sept. 5.

According to the union, one of the sticking points is the board’s proposal to remove 18 part-time counseling positions, which would leave just 10 full-time counselors. The board also proposed adding full-time advising positions, but those positions will not offer mental health services.

“The pandemic may be over, but we are still witnessing its effects on our students. We need to do whatever we can to support our students through every aspect of their lives as they prepare to start their careers, including mental health,” Goldberg said. “It really doesn’t make any sense to do this.”

Goldberg addressed another area of concern at a COD board of trustees meeting last month.

Faculty input into central decisions at the college involving multimillion-dollar initiatives is thin to nonexistent,” Goldberg said.

The union represents 285 full-time faculty members. The faculty association is expected to rally at 4:30 p.m. Thursday on the north side of campus before the COD board meeting at 6 p.m.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20230824/college-of-dupage-faculty-members-authorize-strike