Urbana, IL (CHAMBANA TODAY) – A crowd of green gathered in front of the Champaign County Courthouse on Tuesday in a demonstration following a near-unanimous vote to strike. The group was made up of county employees represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) who have been without a contract for over 170 days.

An agreement that the union previously had with the county expired at the end of 2024, and county representatives and the union are yet to come to an agreement on a new contract. As a result, late last month, 90 percent of eligible employees voted to authorize a strike, and 96 percent of votes cast were “Yes” to authorize a strike if necessary.