City Colleges of Chicago reaches late-night tentative contract agreement to avert strike

City Colleges of Chicago reached a tentative contract agreement late Monday night with its faculty union, stopping a strike that had been scheduled for Tuesday. The deal still needs union ratification.

City Colleges of Chicago reached a tentative contract agreement late Monday night with its faculty union, stopping a strike that had been scheduled for Tuesday.

The deal between the district and the City Colleges Union Local 1600 covers faculty, counselors and support staff across the system's seven campuses. Union negotiators announced the agreement shortly after midnight.

The district said classes would continue as planned Tuesday morning. Some faculty had prepared plans for remote instruction if a strike had occurred.

Union members must ratify the contract. A vote has not been scheduled, and the agreement does not take effect until members approve it.

Negotiations had continued for months over wages, healthcare costs and class-size limits. The union authorized a strike earlier this fall after talks stalled.

City Colleges of Chicago has about 70,000 students at Malcolm X, Kennedy-King, Truman, Olive-Harvey, Harold Washington, Wilbur Wright and Richard J. Daley colleges.

The district reached a deal without a work stoppage for the first time in several years. Contract disputes in 2013 and 2019 led to short strikes.