UIUC Senate Resolutions to Approve Domestic Partner Benefits

UIUC Senate approves EQ.96.03 "Extension of Benefits to University of Illinois Employees in Domestic Partnerships"

Included in EQ.96.03 are the following resolutions:

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION
Senator Stephen Kaufman (MED) asked for a response to President Stukel's decision to heed university counsel and drop the pursuit of benefits for same-sex and unmarried, opposite-sex domestic partners of university employees. Senate Council Chair Schacht replied that the University Senates Conference (USC) will address the matter in its meeting with the President tomorrow.

Inside Illinois
May 7, 1998 / Volume 17, Number 21

Kagan said he shared Kaufman's concern that the senate isn't being taken seriously, not only in regard to the Chief Illiniwek resolution but also in regard to the senate's resolution to provide benefits to domestic partners of UI employees.
Earlier in the meeting, Schacht reported that Stukel had consulted with the university's legal counsel, Thomas Bearrows, on the benefits resolution, which was approved by all three campus senates. Bearrows has determined that implementing the resolution would violate current Illinois law.

According to Bearrows, it is contrary to Illinois law to extend benefits to domestic partners, whether they are of the same or the opposite sex of the employee. Benefits can only be extended to spouses of employees. Illinois law requires a spouse to be of the opposite sex and expressly prohibits same-sex marriages.

Schacht said that the University Senates Conference was not happy with that outcome and would continue to pursue the issue.
Joan Klein, a professor of English, reported that UI law professor Cynthia Williams and her husband have written an opinion on that issue that is contrary to the one advanced by Bearrows.

The resolution of the University Senates Conference on Domestic Partner Benefits which was transmitted to President Stukel, as reported in the 1997-1998 Annual Report, remains on the agenda. The three senates passed similar resolutions concerning the extension of benefits to same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners which the Conference combined into one resolution that was transmitted to the President. In January 1999, the Conference transmitted to the President a proposed Domestic Partner Benefit Program which offers non-State-supported benefits to domestic partners of University employees. The President is looking into both issues.

Meeting of the University Senates Conference
February 17, 2000
Meeting held by Videoconference

Executive Session
The conference first asked about the status of benefits for "domestic partners". It seems that AFSME has to some extent taken over the issue, since they want to "bargain" it with CMS. It is not clear whether this is good or bad news. At least AFSME is at the CMS "table", which the university is not. Right now the Trustees' worry is that the cost may be large for opposite-sex partners.

MINUTES
RECONVENED URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE MEETING
May 1, 2000

PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
05/01/00-01 Vice-Chancellor Colbert presented for action EQ.97.02*, Resolution on Child Care. Senator Heidi Von Gunden (FAA), Chair of the Equal Opportunity Committee, appreciated the doubling of slots at the Child Development Laboratory (CDL) as a result of the recent "baby-in" held at Swanlund Administration Building. She noted that the current CDL accepts no children under 2 years of age, but that the "new" CDL will serve up to 48 each infants and toddlers. However, UIUC still lags far behind our sister campuses in the number of child care slots in proportion to the number of employees.

Senator Vernon Burton (LAS) moved to add the following at the end of the resolution: "Be it further resolved that benefits currently extended to married partners of University employees be extended to same or opposite sex domestic partners (as advocated by the UIUC Senate in resolution EQ.96.03 from September 30, 1996)". Senator Schacht spoke in favor of the sentiment of the amendment, but he thought it did not belong within the framework of this resolution. He added that USC is still working with the University administration on the original proposal, which rendered this amendment unnecessary.
By show of hands, the amendment was defeated.

For a while, senators considered amending the resolution so that it included a proposal to extend benefits to same sex or opposite sex domestic partners, but that was voted down. Several senators said they opposed the amendment because that issue had already been advocated by the senate in 1996, and was not appropriate in the proposed resolution.

Meeting of the University Senates Conference
May 18, 2000
Chicago Campus

Executive Session
Next was the usual question regarding progress towards obtaining benefits for domestic partners. Union negotiations at the state level did not lead to a positive outcome. Jim promises to begin talking to the Board about this issue, probably in September.

Meeting of the University Senates Conference
Springfield, Illinois
October 31, 2000

Old Business
OT-144 Benefits for domestic partners. It was reported that President Stukel is reluctant to forward this to the Trustees since the policy appears to be “at odds with the current statutory framework.”

Contact Person: Lydia Khuri

Links

• Domestic Partner Benefits
  
• Current University Benefits
• Time line of events
• Universities that provide domestic partner benefits
• What you can do
• Sign the petition