For months, UIUC has been challenging the existence of two recently formed faculty unions, CFA Local #6546 (which represents non-tenure track instructors at UIUC) and Uni Faculty Organization (which represents instructors University Laboratory High School), in the courts. The total cost of these challenges is in the tens of thousands.
Yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court denied the university’s final appeal. UIUC must now recognize and bargain with these two unions.
This ruling represents a major win for local unions and flies in the face of Governor Rauner’s recent attempts at anti-union legislation.