UIC United Faculty members picket during their ongoing strike on Jan. 17, 2023. (WTTW News)

Weeks after their four-day strike concluded, union-backed faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago have ratified a new four-year contract.

The UIC United Faculty on Tuesday announced its members had voted in favor of the new deal, which applies to all 1,500 members of the tenure and non-tenure bargaining units.

“We are proud of this contract,” UICUF President Aaron Krall said in a statement. “We fought hard to achieve these goals, and the support we received from students and local leaders kept us going. This contract represents real growth for the campus community.”

Classes were canceled for four days last month while faculty members picketed outside university buildings during the work stoppage.

According to the union, 63% of union members voted, and of those, 99% voted in favor of ratifying the contract. The new agreement is retroactive to Aug. 16, 2022, when the last contract expired, and will expire in August 2026.

According to the union, the contract includes increased minimum salaries for the lowest paid faculty, an equity adjustment to base salaries for all faculty, a 5% average raise pool for each year of the contract, enhanced job protections for non-tenure faculty and expanded non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.

The union also pushed for additional mental health resources for students, and administrators committed nearly $4.5 million over six years to improve those services.

The contract guarantees an average raise pool of 5% over the life of the deal, which will be distributed to faculty based on performance and wage compression.

Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | [email protected] | (773) 509-5431