Frustration grows, and a strike is imminent as demands remain unmet. On Friday, Special Education Associate Professor Mark Zablocki and assistant history professors Taylor Soja and Camille Cole collaborated to provide updates on the United Faculty of Illinois State University (UF). At the end of February, UF announced that there would be discussions of striking due to the slow progress in reaching an agreement. Some members displayed signs outside their office doors indicating their readiness to strike. Significant steps have been taken toward action. In early March, Cole said UF had taken a strike authorization vote, which authorized their table team to file with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. “There was another mediation session immediately after, where the administration made a little bit of movement but really not the kind of movement that we need to see,” Cole said. “After, the table team did choose to file it with the board this past Monday.” UF members are currently undergoing the state-mandated 10-day cooling-off period. According to Soja, the earliest potential strike date would be April 4. Cole added to the discussion by reminding that UF will continue to hold sessions throughout this period. Sessions sometimes last for hours, with one even being held during bad weather. “The last mediation session, they were there for 11 hours–that day of the tornado–they all had to go inside the building. That's just to say that however long they would need to be in that room, that's what we're gonna do,” Cole said. In the event of a strike, students should anticipate that a professor participating in the strike will not conduct classes, update Canvas, check their email, do service work for the University or engage in other related activities. “There are also people who teach classes who are not part of our unit, so people who are non-tenure track faculty are not allowed to strike because of the way that U.S. labor law works. Those classes presumably will still happen,” Cole said. On Friday, a University-wide email was sent to all students and faculty. The response included tentative agreements reached by the parties during the session on Friday. It was stated that these agreements pertained to non-economic issues. “We're just focusing on the bargaining and on trying to make movement for the faculty at the table,” Cole said. According to the email, negotiation sessions are now scheduled for April 1-4. As a strike looms, rallies increase in numbers. On Thursday, over 200 individuals attended the UF rally on the Quad. Pressure was applied to the University as members chanted and marched around campus, continuing to demonstrate their willingness to fight for a fair contract. Illinois Representative Sharon Chung and Illinois State Senator Dave Koehler attended the rally to show support for UF. They gave speeches alongside many others who were there in support. “What really stuck out to me is what Camille was talking about: how this has kind of gotten people from different departments together who normally wouldn't get together,” Zablocki said. “For the past four years, we've been having conversations with people all across campus. We tried to talk to every single faculty member–650 of them–so we made every attempt to talk to everybody. I think yesterday was really a show of unity," Zablocki continued. Zablocki, Soja and Cole agreed that they have seen more interest from students due to the rallies growing in numbers. “I think a lot of faculty have been talking to students outside of class and answering the questions that they come to us with about what the union is and how it all works, but also what we're fighting for,” Soja said. “And I can speak for myself and say that, when I've talked to students outside of class, there's real frustration. I feel like they're very much in it with us," Soja continued. Cole said that students are able to contribute to UF’s efforts in numerous ways. Students can write to President Aondover Tarhule through the link on UF’s Instagram to urge him to direct his table team to work on an agreeable offer for everyone. “Follow us on socials… But also, talk to your friends, talk to your parents. The more that the community knows and that people who have a stake in the University, and the more that those people are also reaching out to the administration, the more likely it is that they settle a fair contract with us,” Cole said. At the end of the discussion, the three shared a few thoughts that summarized the emotions within UF. Zablocki shared that among the frustrations, he felt uplifted by the interest from students. “I teach pre-service teachers, and most of them will join a union. Talking more about unions and what they mean for the country has made me feel pretty good,” Zablocki said. Soja agreed with Zablocki’s statement and said the feeling was mutual. Cole also shared similar feelings. “I feel similar. Tired, frustrated, a little bit anxious. But I am also ready; I am ready to fight if that's what they're gonna insist on,” Cole said.