Overview:
An arbitrator ruled Western Illinois University’s dismissal of all nine professors and two other professionals unlawful, ordered reinstatement and back pay.
Western Illinois University laid off all of its librarians last year and is now being forced to rehire them. An arbitrator ruled that the university’s 2024 decision to lay off all nine of its librarians, along with two other bargaining unit professionals, was illegal, a decision the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Local 4100 hailed as a major win for students, faculty, staff and the state’s higher education community.
A decision that affected employees be financially whole and reinstated if they choose to return. Two additional professionals who were laid off and found to have violated the collective bargaining agreement are entitled to reinstatement and back pay. The result confirms the union’s long-standing contention that the university breached its contract and squandered important academic support resources.
“This layoff was unfair, harmful to staff and students, and a violation of our contract,” said WIU Chapter President Merrill Cole, who said the targeted professors and professors built their careers on student success and the university’s academic mission. You have accepted the arbitrator’s recognition of the damages incurred and the ordering of reasonable remedies.
These cuts eliminated critical academic support and were among the most severe staff cuts WIU administrators have made in recent years as budget and enrollment pressures increase. UPI has argued that administrators have repeatedly responded to those pressures with bleak choices that have eroded educational resources and weak student support at an institution it describes as the economic and educational anchor of the region.
UPI President John Miller, who also serves as membership secretary for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, called the decision an affirmation of workers standing together to protect the quality of education. He said the arbitrator confirmed that contractual rights are important and cannot be ignored when management makes decisions that affect students’ livelihoods and resources.
A massive funding battle
Union leaders say the case underscores the urgent need for state investment in Illinois’ higher education. They argue that regional public universities such as WIU and Eastern Illinois University have struggled due to chronic underfunding, and that more than four decades of inadequate state support has depressed costs for students and families while undermining programs that support a strong community system. He said the difficulty falls more on institutions that serve first-generation students, rural communities and working families.
UPI identified the recent legislative session as a missed opportunity. Despite widespread support, lawmakers did not bring House Bill 1581 / Senate Bill 13 – the Fair and Equitable Public University Funding Act – to a vote. The measure would have begun directing an additional $140 million annually to public universities, prioritizing those in greatest need.
“Illinois cannot continue to ask its public universities, especially state universities, to do more with less,” Miller said, urging Gov. JB Pritzker and lawmakers to make higher education funding a priority and keep tuition affordable. Without meaningful investment, he warned, the state is in danger of losing many students to schools outside the province or pushing them to abandon higher education altogether.
UPI said the compensation decision sends a clear message that contractual obligations must be respected and that financial challenges will not be resolved at the expense of workers’ rights, the quality of education or student success. The union added that it looks forward to working with WIU leadership to address financial issues and strengthen the university for the students and community that rely on it.
Advocacy continues in academic libraries
Beyond the WIU case, the Coalition for Higher Education Libraries is urging the Illinois General Assembly to pass bipartisan legislation, Senate Joint Resolution SJR0013, to support libraries. The decision will create a statewide task force – made up of students, librarians, university librarians, state higher education leaders (such as CARLI, ISL and IBHE), and legislators – to build support for Illinois academic libraries and librarians.
The legislation passed the Illinois Senate Higher Education Committee on March 5, 2025, and was placed on the Clerk’s Desk Decision Calendar Order on March 6, 2025. Supporters are encouraged to contact their Illinois House and Senate representatives (enter your zip code to identify your representatives) to express support for the spring session.
