City Colleges of Chicago union say it will strike next week without a new contract

Faculty and staff of City Colleges of Chicago will walk off the job next week if they don’t secure a new contract, their union said Tuesday.

Leaders of the union representing almost 1,500 instructors and other employees of the community colleges said Tuesday that they’ve set a Nov. 2 strike date amid ongoing negotiations for a new labor agreement.

The prospect of a strike shutting down the college network has intensified in recent weeks after the Cook County College Teachers Union authorized a strike earlier this month.

The union reported some progress in talks last week on issues including pay but said the sides remained apart on a number of sticking points, including issues related to remote work.

The colleges’ administration has said little about any contingencies plans for a strike that could halt classes for tens of thousands of students. A spokesperson released a statement last week saying the administration “is committed to negotiating in good faith with each of our professionals and faculty unions to finalize their respective contracts.”