The union representing faculty and staff at City Colleges of Chicago reached a tentative agreement with the school system early Monday morning, hours before a strike was scheduled to begin.
After months of drawn-out negotiations, the Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600, and the City Colleges of Chicago settled on terms for a new four-year contract for faculty and professionals
The agreement terms include higher starting salaries and annual raises over the four-year contract, maintaining existing health insurance contributions and caps, the creation of a joint AI committee to handle the technology’s use in the school system, the creation of a task force to study making developmental and non-credit classes free for students, expanded parental leave and a Monday start to the academic year, according to a news release.
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“I am proud of our negotiating teams, of our members who were prepared to strike, and of this contract,” union President Tony Johnston said in the release. “It should not have taken until 3:45 AM the day of a strike to get here. But we are happy to reach a fair agreement that supports students, faculty, and professionals.”
The contract agreement came hours before faculty and staff were set to strike and picket at the school system’s seven sites. In September, 96% or 1,388 of the union’s eligible faculty and staff voted to authorize a strike against City Colleges of Chicago, with a 91% turnout. Contracts for faculty and professional staff expired on July 15.
The intention to strike mirrored the union’s position roughly four years ago when it negotiated its previous contract with City Colleges. Then, the union also voted to strike and got close to an official walkout in fall 2022 before reaching a deal with City Colleges in late October of that year.
The union will put the tentative agreement before membership for a ratification vote. If members approve, the agreement will go before the City Colleges Board of Trustees for approval.
City Colleges serves more than 73,000 students a year through its network of multiple public community colleges, according to its website. In an email to the Tribune, City Colleges of Chicago spokesperson Veronica Resa said classes are in session as usual Monday morning and student services continue as scheduled.