EIU employees walk out for higher wages

CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Eastern Illinois University employees walked out of their shifts on Wednesday to ask for higher wages.

Members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees left work just before noon to march in front of the main offices. Workers said they have been negotiating with EIU for the past six months.

AFSCME employees are made up of cooks, maintenance and administrative assistants, among other positions. Union members said they want $16 an hour at bare minimum. Negotiations have been going on for the last 6 months, but it is in the past 10 years, union members said, that raises have been long overdue.

AFSCME’s Kim Pope said the less than 10% raise over the past decade or so is not enough, especially when factoring in inflation.

“It’s a great strain on them,” Pope said. “It’s difficult for working families as well. So, we want EIU to make up…