The university sought to lay off all nine of its library faculty members.
Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | LoraLiu/iStock/Getty Images | Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University’s decision in 2024 to lay off 11 employees violated the university’s collective bargaining agreement with a faculty union, an arbitrator ruled this week.
The arbitrator ordered the university to reinstate the employees, which included all nine of its academic librarians, and give them back pay, according to the union representing the employees. The employees received layoffs notices in 2024, which were effective in 2025.
“This decision confirms what we have argued from the beginning: these layoffs were wrong, they were harmful to staff and students, and they violated our contract,” WIU chapter president Merrill Cole said in a news release. “We are pleased that the arbitrator recognized the injustice of the university’s actions and ordered meaningful remedies for those who were impacted.”
