SPRINGFIELD—Staff and faculty at Sangamon State University are ready to strike if needed, although no one wants employee-management relations to go that far.

Ron Ettinger, president of University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100, told a packed SSU cafeteria Wednesday the strike could be damaging to the Springfield university but isn’t planned with that intent.

“It’s about saving this university,” Ettinger said.

SSU faculty have been working without a contract for four months. Negotiations broke down Sept. 6 when SSU officials made their first and last offer for faculty salary increases. No further talks have occurred.

Nina Adams, an associate professor and union grievance officer, said the administration wants to take away pay for teaching off-campus classes and smaller pay and merit increases for promotions.

But pay isn’t the only thing on the minds of the disgruntled teachers. Adams said the possible strike is a protest about officials closing the talks, possible new discipline policies and tenure changes, talk of the school losing its faculty representation on the Board of Regents and the administration’s refusal to negotiate salaries.

“We’ve filed unfair labor practices,” Adams said. The administration’s one and only pay raise offer is “illegal and irritating.”

About 100 angered faculty and students filled the balcony of SSU’s Studio Theater, where the Board of Regents—which is holding its monthly meeting here—were dining for the evening.

“We hope to move the BOR to move the Chancellor to reopen the negotiations,” Adams said. The faculty and administration were fairly close on some issues and want to return to the bargaining table, she said.

Union President Mitch Vogel said the picket line was important to show the Regents that the faculty will stand together.

“They (the Regents) will learn the lesson and we will come out victorious,” Vogel said.

The faculty might get help from a usually opposing group. David Starett, executive director of the Illinois Student Association, said students and faculty have been “on the out for the last decade,” but are ready to join forces.

But some students voiced concern about the possible walkout because of their tuition, classes and graduation dates.

Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves was unavailable for comment.

The faculty filed its intention to strike Friday and legally could have begun striking Wednesday morning. As of press time Wednesday night, the faculty had not walked out.