AFT’s Weingarten and AAUP’s Wolfson on The University of Illinois Springfield Faculty Strike

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.-AFT President Randi Weingarten and American Association of University Professors President Todd Wolfson issued the following statement:

"Faculty at the University of Illinois Springfield are on strike because their administration is failing to invest in the core mission of higher education: teaching, learning and student success.

"Offering raises as low as 1 percent, refusing to establish meaningful protections around the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, and neglecting programs that expand student opportunity are not just bargaining failures-they are symptoms of a broader crisis in higher education.

"Across the country, we are seeing the same pattern: disinvestment in public institutions, erosion of working conditions for faculty and staff, and decisions that prioritize administrative control over educational quality. Higher education is a public good that must be strengthened through real investment, respect for workers, and a commitment to student success.

"The strike at UIS reflects exactly why we launched our nationwide campaign, Higher Education: Saving Lives, Building Futures. Faculty are standing up not only for fair compensation, but for the integrity of education itself-demanding guardrails on AI, stronger academic programs, and the resources students need to thrive.

"We call on Chancellor Gooch to stop hiding from her faculty and students and come to the table with a fair contract that reflects the value of their work and the needs of the campus community.

"What is happening at UIS is not isolated. It is part of a national movement of higher education workers, students and communities demanding a different future-one where institutions are properly funded, workers are respected, and students receive the education they deserve.

"We stand in full solidarity with the striking faculty and all those fighting to make higher education the public good it should be."

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The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.