The strike was approved by nearly 90% of unionized faculty.
The strike was approved by nearly 90% of unionized faculty.
Non-tenure track (NTT) faculty union members from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) gathered from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 1 for a one-day strike to pressure the university amid ongoing contract negotiations. Unionized NTT faculty previously voted to authorize a strike for April 21, but chose to host a six-hour rally instead, The Phoenix reported.
The May Day strike from Faculty Forward comes after 38 bargaining sessions with the university, according to Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Negotiations began in February 2025 as a part of the third collective bargaining agreement covering part-time and full-time NTT faculty, The Phoenix reported.
May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a holiday that commemorates Chicago’s 1886 Haymarket Affair, according to the Illinois Labor History Society. Across the city, labor unions like the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Federation of Labor hosted protests too.
“May Day is not just a date on the calendar. It is a reminder of why we organize, why we fight, and why we refuse to back down,” an SEIU Local 73 news release wrote.
Demands from union members include wage increases for all NTT faculty, improvements in parental leave policies for part-time faculty and more manageable workloads, The Phoenix reported.
Full-time instructor in the biology department and member of the union’s bargaining committee Dallas Krentzel said the university has been “absolutely inflexible” during negotiations.
“This is us trying to be fair and reasonable to our students,” said Krentzel.
In an email to The Phoenix, the university wrote that they are “fully committed to bargaining in good faith” and to reaching a fair agreement that supports the whole university.
“While we respect the rights of unionized faculty to make their voices heard, we are disappointed that Union leadership chose to create unnecessary and irresponsible risk to students’ academic progress at this critical time,” the university wrote in a bargaining update on their website.
Full-time instructor in the English department and part-time co-chair of the union Paige Warren said students represent more value than their tuition– their education is priceless and so are they.
“We are not failing our students today; the university is failing us,” Warren said.
Around 11 a.m. the picket line marched towards 1144 W. Loyola Ave., where a rally and press conference were held across the street from the former site of Campion Hall, where a nursing sciences building is under new contruction, The Phoenix previously reported.
There, speakers, including Warren, SEIU President Dian Palmer, 49th Ward Alderwoman Maria Hadden, AAUP Leader and professor at Northwestern Jorge Coronado and Faculty Forward Secretary Deborah Goodman, spoke about labor unions, the strike and their demands.
“Just because you have a mission with a social justice orientation does not mean you can stop doing the right thing,” Hadden said, referring to the university.
Despite increased publicity, including a t-rex inflatable costume and a media campaign, little has changed for professors, Krentzel said. The May Day strike caught the eye of local politicians, including the Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 9th congressional district and the mayor of Evanston, Daniel Biss.
“It’s really inspiring to see them standing up and fighting for better wages and working conditions,” Biss said.
Unionized faculty criticized the university’s recent land acquisitions, according to Krentzel.
“Universities have become distracted with other activities, that’s part of why non-tenure faculty are winding up on strike without adequate wages and compensation,” Biss said.
Faculty Forward members said many of the Jesuit values Loyola advertises – 0ncluding “cura personalis,” or care for the whole person – aren’t applied to the staff.
“There’s a long history of Catholic social teaching supporting unions and supporting the rights of workers,” Molly Greening, a theology instructor, said.
Full-time lecturer in the sociology department Matthew Williams said the university is “surface listening” during negotiations.
“They’re not addressing the heart of our concerns,” Williams said. “We’re overworked and underpaid.”
Members of the Faculty Forward bargaining committee said they are seeking raises for both full-time and part-time CAS faculty to combat the rising cost of living.
“They’re not going to be able to start the fall semester off without meeting some of our demands,” Krentzel said.
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