Arbitrator Orders WIU to Reinstate Fired Librarians

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.”

The university said in a statement to Tri States Public Radio that it “continues to participate in the collaborative arbitration process and has no further comment on pending contractual and personnel matters.”