At a rally on Thursday, April 25th, clerical and technical staff from the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) announced their unions’ plans to strike on Wednesday if fair agreements are not reached. The 450 employees, members of the Federation of College Clerical and Technical Personnel (IFT Local 1708), serve on the front lines at all City Colleges and provide critical student and administrative services. They have been working without a contract for nearly three years and called for fairness, a livable wage, and the respect they deserve from the CCC administration. During informational meetings held on campuses this week, 87 percent of voting members rejected management’s last offer. The strike announcements came during an energetic rally of members and supporters that began at the Arturo Velasquez Westside Technical Institute and ended after a march to Instituto charter school headquarters, where teachers may also strike.

Delores Withers, FCCTP president, told the crowd that her full- and part-time members deserve a fair contract after nearly three years of bargaining. “We need to be paid a living wage,” she insisted. “Sixty-six percent of our part-time employees – the majority who are black and brown women – earn less than Chicago’s minimum wage. They can’t afford health insurance or even take a sick day because they can’t miss a day of pay. It’s just morally wrong, and we’re not going to take it anymore.” “This is about much more than salary improvements,” said Sherina Collins, a college administrative assistant at Olive-Harvey College. “It’s about respect. The administration has been balancing their budgets on our backs by refusing to fill vacant positions, which has increased our workload dramatically. They haven’t compensated employees for the extra work, but salaries in the chancellor’s office have gone up by nearly 40 percent in the last two years. We are professionals, and this treatment is not only disheartening, it’s just disrespectful.”

The Federation of College Clerical and Technical Personnel (Local 1708) represents 450 full- and part-time clerical, technical, and non-professional employees at the City Colleges of Chicago. They are affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers.