Hundreds of faculty members, students, and people in the community rallied in support of College of DuPage employees recently. The goal of the rally was to show support for faculty who would be participating in an upcoming mediation session regarding their contracts. The rally was scheduled as a “send-off” for those attending the mediation session with the Board of Trustees.

According to the union president, “This is about coming to a fair agreement and avoiding a strike. We are using our collective voice to demand better for our students. We want to be heard. Our message is simple: teaching matters. Our students succeed when we invest in our faculty. We need a fair contract, and we need it now.”

Negotiations have been ongoing since March of this year. The current contract expired in mid-August. After that, full-time faculty worked under no contract and at the end of the month a strike was authorized. That authorization did not mean a strike was imminent, but it gave the union the power to strike if need be. It was the first affirmative strike vote in a quarter century.

According to one student of the College of DuPage, “The professors I have had during my time at the College of DuPage have supported and encouraged me. They have instituted new and exciting curricula and ways to educate students that truly foster excitement in the classrooms and support further thought on the topics discussed beyond what may be relevant for a test. These educators deserve fair compensation for their tireless efforts in supporting students’ pursuit of knowledge.”

The union represents more than 300 full-time College of DuPage faculties. The school has an enrollment of more than 26,000 students.