The Eastern chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois and the administration are continuing to work through contract language on the faculty contract tentative agreement.

The agreement was reached last Tuesday at a meeting between the two parties and a federally contracted mediator.

The next step in the process is for the membership of UPI to ratify the tentative agreement, after which it can be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval.

However, before the agreement is presented to the membership for approval, the administration and UPI still must fine-tune the contract language.

“Everyone is still trying to sort everything out,” said UPI president Charles Delman. “I think there are some potential difficulties with some of the provisions (of the contract), but we’re dedicated to working on them and coming to something that’s agreeable and I’m sure the administration is too.”

Delman said the two parties are working to agree on contract language, and that communication with UPI membership will probably be done informally by e-mail.

“I’m very hopeful they’re going to accept (the contract),” said Bob Wayland, chief negotiator for the administration. He hopes the membership can ratify the agreement by the next Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 3 so the contract can be presented for approval at the meeting.

Wayland declined to talk about any specifics of the agreement.

“We agreed the night that we settled, as far as the administration was concerned, we would not disclose (the agreement) until (UPI) had a chance to discuss it fully with their membership,” he said.