Springfield, IL  (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Full-time non-tenure track faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield, who are members of UIS Instructors United, reached a tentative contract agreement with the administration late Wednesday night. The deal was struck after a 10-hour bargaining session Tuesday and an all-day negotiation Wednesday, narrowly avoiding a planned strike. Federal mediation helped bring both sides to an agreement after a year of negotiations.

Scott Fenton, UIS English instructor and a member of the union negotiating team, said, “It has been a long and challenging road to secure this first agreement, but we are pleased that they worked with us in the end so we can stay in the classroom with our students. That is where we want to be.”

“It is truly disappointing though that, once again, U of I leaders took an unnecessarily contentious approach to bargaining that sowed seeds of distrust between the union and administration,” added John Miller, president of the University Professionals of Illinois. “We hope future bargaining will prove more respectful and amicable, which would be in the best interests of all parties, including students.”

The three-year agreement reportedly includes improvements in workload and salary, but the details will not be released until union members and UIS leaders approve it. UISIU members are expected to vote on it by the end of the month.