"Chalk up" Local 3236's new contract to strong action

AFSCME Local 3236 at Illinois State University has secured two strong new contracts for its clerical and healthcare bargaining units that can both point to a chalking action as their contract campaign’s turning point.

Members of Local 3236 under the healthcare contract are nurses and medical specialists at ISU’s on-campus health clinic. Local 3236 members in the clerical bargaining unit are office and library managers, among others. The union represents 140 ISU workers in total.

“Management always talks about student success. Most people think of the faculty when they hear that, but it’s the support staff who actually help students succeed,” said Local 3236 President Deb Shambrook. “We’re the ones that are there five days a week, in an office setting or in the library, helping them get the answers or the health care they need to succeed and thrive.”

Members were trying to win fair wages that ended wage compression between new and veteran employees, expand remote work policies, and secure stronger rights on vacation time and continuing education release days. But early on, it became apparent that ISU administration wasn’t going to meet their demands without a fight.

For ideas on how they could get their message out, they looked to the time-tested strategy of student activists: splashing their message across campus in chalk.

Alisa Sudlow, a clinic nurse who served on the health care bargaining team, was among those who went out to chalk up campus with messages alerting the campus community to the ongoing fight for a fair contract.

On the sidewalk outside the human resources office, Sudlow wrote a simple message that irked some of those inside.

“I wrote the definition of the word ‘negotiate,’” Sudlow said.

Negotiate, verb: “Try to reach an agreement or compromise by discussion with others.” It was a point that union members needed to drive home to the administration, given management’s lack of interest in discussing anything of substance.

Some people inside the building took offense and called campus police. When police arrived, Sudlow and her fellow union members were told they were well within their rights, and nothing could stop them from peacefully putting their message in chalk.

Despite the attempt at intimidating them, it was clear whose side the campus community was on. Incoming freshmen and their families were on campus to pick up their student IDs, tour dorms and get ready for the upcoming school year. Members of Local 3236 said that as they chalked up campus, they received heaps of encouragement and solidarity from the new Redbirds and their families.

That solidarity helped push them along. Soon, both units had secured new contracts.

For the health care unit, the three-year contract raises wages by an average of 9.3%, which could rise even higher if the university announces a higher across-the-board increase for other workers on campus. They also won the new right to use continuing education release days consecutively and improved rights around temporary assignments.

The new contract for the clerical unit raises wages by an average of 8%, which could also go higher if a general wage increase is announced. They were successful in strengthening and expanding the remote work policy.

The healthcare bargaining team included Sudlow, Heather Burnette, Amy Horsch and Danielle Nussbaum.

The clerical bargaining team included Shambrook, Sean Berrocales, Julie Cooper, Amanda Dingler and Jessica Martin.

Both committees were led by Council 31 Staff Representative Renee Nestler.