Bargaining Process
Staff at the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) have successfully bargained our first contracts. SAIC non-tenure-track faculty is currently in this process.
1.
Together, we nominate and elect a bargaining committee from among our fellow AICWU union members.
2.
Members complete an anonymous bargaining survey to determine our priorities and ideas for improvements. This is used to draft contract proposals, which our members approve before the negotiations begin.
3.
Our bargaining committee negotiates a tentative collective bargaining agreement with management’s representatives.
4.
We, the members of AICWU, vote on and approve (ratify) our final contract.
Developing Our Bargaining Goals
Our bargaining committees identify our initial bargaining goals by surveying members, reviewing other relevant contracts, and soliciting member feedback. The first step in this process is filling out an anonymous bargaining survey.
The bargaining committees and our AFSCME C31 representative, Cameron Day, review, analyze, and report out non-identifying survey results. After gathering priorities from members, the committee develops contract language proposals for membership’s approval before presenting to management.
Bargaining Committee Makeup
AIC staff, SAIC staff, and NTT faculty each have a bargaining committee made up of members who work in each unit, or local.
AIC and SAIC committees also include an AFSCME C31 Regional Director and Staff Representative to train and assist the committee. Our AFSCME negotiators participate as chief spokespeople in the negotiations with management’s representatives.
Leading up to bargaining, anyone in the unit can nominate another member for the bargaining team, whether or not they have signed a card. If more than one employee from a departmental grouping accepts a nomination, an election will be held with the employees in that department group.
Learn more about the bargaining committee makeup and nominations here!
Bargaining Committee Responsibilities
The primary responsibility of the committee is to negotiate an initial collective bargaining agreement with management’s representatives. Election to the committee obligates each member to represent and fight for the best possible contract for all members of the unit. The committee will meet both online and in person throughout the process, including preparation meetings, live bargaining, debriefs, and membership informational sessions. It is important to note that being on the bargaining committee is a significant time commitment.
Read more about the roles and detailed responsibilities of the bargaining committee here!