SIU IEA/NEA Faculty Association and SIU Carbondale partner to create key investments with new agreement

August 05, 2024

SIU IEA/NEA Faculty Association and SIU Carbondale partner to create key investments with new agreement

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the SIU Faculty Association have reached a collective bargaining agreement that has been ratified by the SIUFA membership, the university and the association announced today (Aug. 5). The four-year agreement is effective July 1, 2024. 

“Much of our success in enrollment and retention can be attributed to our talented and nationally recognized faculty members,” said Chancellor Austin A. Lane. “Each of them continues to play a critical role in the Imagine 2030 strategic plan that focuses on academic innovation and research. Special thanks to both bargaining teams that worked together in good faith to reach a common goal that will serve SIU Carbondale well for many years to come.” 

The Faculty Association represents approximately 400 tenured and tenure-track professors. This agreement marks a historic accomplishment for both the union and university, bargaining successfully to a tentative agreement prior to the expiration of the previous agreement on June 30, 2024. 

“This agreement is an excellent step in addressing compressed faculty salaries and raises our lowest paid faculty to a more competitive wage,” said association President Jeff Punske. 

The agreement is an investment in faculty and students, Punske said. 

“We are pleased with both the dedication of the association and administration bargaining teams in forging an agreement that we believe will help us continue to recruit and retain excellent faculty as well as educate and inspire our students,” said Punske. 

The agreement not only provides salary adjustments for faculty but reforms office hour policies to encourage more comprehensive student engagement, and it provides support for program directors and coordinators who work to recruit and grow students in programs across campus. 

SIU Carbondale’s latest agreement with SIUFA is one of several steps the institution has taken to address compensation issues for all employees. This year, the university launched Compensation 2030, an extensive project to create an updated, more equitable and more competitive compensation system at SIU Carbondale.