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Administrative Law Judge Rules SIU Bargained in Bad Faith; Owes $1.9 Million in Compensation

SIU Faculty Association President Rachel Stocking on IELRB ruling against SIU's bargaining practices during contract talks in 2011
SIU Faculty Association President Rachel Stocking on IELRB ruling against SIU's bargaining practices during contract talks in 2011

WSIU's Jeff Williams reports on an Administrative Law Judge ruling on furlough days at SIU Carbondale back in 2011.

An Administrative Law Judge with the education labor relations board has found that SIU Carbondale administrators bargained in bad faith during contract negotiations with the schools unions in 2011.

Administrative Law Judge Colleen Harvey issued the decision July 10th, more than three years after the Illinois Education Association and the three unions representing SIUC faculty and staff filed the complaint. In her decision, Harvey found SIU's administration acted illegally during the 2011 contract dispute which resulted in faculty and staff having to take four furlough days.   The 56-page ruling also says the former SIU administration illegally pushed the unions during negotiations to a point of impasse.

SIU Faculty Association President Rachel Stocking on IELRB ruling against SIU's bargaining practices during contract talks in 2011
SIU Faculty Association President Rachel Stocking on IELRB ruling against SIU's bargaining practices during contract talks in 2011

SIU Faculty Association President Rachel Stocking says she hopes the ruling will have a positive impact on the current contract negotiations.  She says she also hopes the ruling makes the bargaining teams for both sides recognize there are legal responsibilities that must take place during bargaining.   Stocking says the Faculty Association has not had a bargaining session since learning of the Education Labor Relations Board ruling.

Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association President Jim Wall on IELRB ruling.
Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association President Jim Wall on IELRB ruling.

Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association President Jim Wall says all three unions are currently up for negotiation.  He says the terms of the contracts agreed to in 2011 remain in force while negotiations are underway.  Wall says the NTTFA has held one session with the Administration's bargaining team.  He says negations will likely get underway in earnest once the fall semester gets underway later this month.

The IELRB ruling and order holds SIU responsible for about $1.9 million in back pay owed the union faculty and staff for the four forced furlough days that were of major dissent during the 2011 contract negotiations.

SIU Reaction:WSIU's Jennifer Fuller reports on reaction from SIU Carbondale Administrators to the ALJ's ruling.

SIU Carbondale's Administration says it's still reviewing the ruling from Illinois' Educational Labor Relations Board, and a decision on a next step will come soon.

A statement from SIUC points out the administrative law judge's decision is not a final order. The school could ask for a review from the full labor relations board, or it could also appeal directly to court.

The university says it respectfully disagrees with the ruling, saying the recommendations didn't consider a difficult budget situation or bargaining that was going on at the time.

 

SIU goes on to say it remains committed to the partnership with unions, and wants to work for the overall campus community and student success.

SIU has 21 days to appeal the state education labor relations board ruling.   It's unclear when that response clock begins.  The ruling was issued on July 10th but it was sent directly to SIU's legal counsel.  The IEA and the SIUC unions were not notified of the decision until about two weeks ago.

Administrative Law Judge Rules SIU Bargained in Bad Faith; Owes $1.9 Million in Compensation

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Jeff Williams is the Station Manager / News & Public Affairs Director for WSIU Radio. Jeff has been in broadcast news for more than 20 years. After graduating with a degree in Radio-Television from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he worked in commercial radio and television news in Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. before returning to WSIU Radio in 1997, as Morning Edition anchor/reporter. Jeff became News Director in 2001 and assumed Station Manager duties in 2005. Jeff and his wife are the proud soccer parents of two somewhat avid public radio listening teenagers. WSIU is operated by Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It signed on the air in September 1958.
WSIU's award winning reporter bringing you the morning news, local political talk and market forecasts.
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