When members of AFSCME Local 370 (Council 31) began negotiating a new contract at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU-SOM) in April 2025, they were clear on their goals: better wages and longevity raises for the longest-tenured employees.
And sure enough, after months of hard bargaining, members ratified a new contract that includes strong raises and a first-ever longevity system that rewards employees for their years of service.
Management initially refused to offer longevity wages for members, insisting that as health care workers, employee pay would be determined by a market analysis of titles, even if they’d worked at the school for a decade or more.
“We needed to show them that what makes the SIU-SOM work is not just the six-figure doctors — it’s all of us,” said Local 370 President Gina Darden. “It’s the nurses, the front desk workers, the call center workers. We had to make them understand that keeping this place running as well as it does takes all of us.”
Members of Local 370 made sure management got that message. Dozens attended an SIU Board of Trustees meeting in June 2025, where members spoke about the need for improved, livable wages.
But management still wasn’t hearing it, so “we had to show we weren’t willing to back down,” Darden said.
The local organized a large rally and informational picket, where students and faculty joined the workers in calling out management’s meager proposals.
Their dedication and determination worked. The picket sent the message they wanted to send. Within a matter of weeks, they reached an agreement on a new contract back in November.
The new contract doubles the amount of money in members’ pockets compared to management’s initial proposal. Some members will see wage increases as high as 14%.
They also won their first-ever paid parental leave policy, plus paid time off to vote.
The contract is a victory for the workers who keep SIU-SOM running as well as the patients who depend on them every day.