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AFSCME Files New Charge Against NIU On Behalf Of New Bargaining Unit

niu.edu / afscme.org

A state employee union has filed a new charge against Northern Illinois University for not bargaining in good faith.

The AFSCME Council 31 charges that NIU refused to bargain with the newly certified unit over mandatory subjects like holidays and sick time. AFSCME spokeswoman Sara Dorner says NIU suggested that the bargaining unit should withdraw proposals for language that appears in the university’s contracts with its other two units.

“For failure to agree to language that is in so many of their other collective bargaining agreements, or boilerplate language that is in several collective bargaining agreements for several state universities throughout Illinois, is really kind of a slap in the face to the employees,” Dorner said.
 
Dorner said it doesn't seem like NIU is taking their employees seriously in this case.

“We bargain after hours; we negotiate with one employer representative as opposed to a team, which is kind of unheard of in negotiations,” Dorner said. “When they come to the table, they don’t come with responses to our proposals; they haven’t been fulfilling information requests."

The new charge comes after the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board recommended in a separate case that NIU should rescind parking pass price hikes for those 632 employees, which NIU appealed.

NIU officials declined comment to WNIJ.

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