EIU Media Relations

EIU Issues Last, Best, and Final Offer

Statement from the University

Demonstrating its commitment to bargaining in good faith to reach agreement with UPI, EIU was prepared to meet with UPI on Monday and Tuesday.  UPI would commit only to begin bargaining at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, in part because members of the bargaining committee traveled to Governors State University to attend a rally.  Despite UPI prioritizing a rally at another university over resolving its own contract, EIU came to the table Tuesday evening with every intention to stay as long as it took to reach an agreement that enabled our students and faculty to return to the classroom.  To that end, EIU reached agreement with UPI on all outstanding issues except economics.  On economics, EIU committed an additional 3% over the proposed four-year term of the agreement, while UPI moved little on the economic proposal it has had on the table for several sessions.  UPI gave an economic proposal at 10:30 p.m. and abruptly walked out of negotiations without giving EIU the opportunity to respond across the table.  In doing so, UPI demonstrated that it was not interested in reaching agreement and it abandoned its commitment to EIU’s students.  UPI’s premature cessation of bargaining left EIU with no choice but to deliver its last, best, and final offer electronically to UPI.  The main terms of EIU’s proposal would result in all UPI-represented employees receiving a 15% increase over the term of the agreement:  5%, 4%, 3%, and 3% in across-the-board adjustments with substantial increases in merit, ACA, PBI, and overload.  EIU’s financial package exceeds $6.6M over four years and is significantly higher than those agreed to by the parties in the last several collective bargaining agreements.

EIU cannot express enough how disappointed it is in the conduct of UPI and its refusal to stay at the table to end this strike.