In a major win for higher education, five faculty librarians and two university professionals at Western Illinois University will be offered their jobs back with back pay after being laid off last May, an arbitrator ruled on May 31, 2026.
The arbitrator found that when the university laid off the workers, it violated the collective bargaining agreement with the union. As a result, the university must reinstate the affected employees, who now must decide if they want to return to their jobs.
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