Updated April 22, 2026 at 1:46 PM CDT
The union representing building and dining service workers at Illinois State University has sued the university, alleging it violated state law by hiring temporary workers during the union's strike, which is now in its third week.
In the lawsuit filed in McLean County court Tuesday, AFSCME Local 1110 names the Illinois State University Board of Trustees, President Aondover Tarhule and three other university administrators as defendants. The lawsuit is asking the court to declare that the university violated the Strikebreakers Act.
The Illinois law states that "no person shall knowingly employ any professional strikebreaker in the place of an employee, whose work has ceased as a direct consequence of a lockout or strike."
The law stipulates that violators are guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
"What ISU is doing is specifically banned under the law and they can't be permitted to get away with it," said Anders Lindall with the AFSCME Council 31.
PDF: Read the lawsuit
The complaint alleges ISU has hired at least five contractors to perform the work normally performed by AFSCME members, including four companies that handle cleaning services. The lawsuit claims temporary workers were hired to give the university greater leverage in its labor dispute with the union.
"Governmental employers have greater power in strikes if they can easily replace striking employees with temporary labor hired by contractors," the lawsuit states. "The purpose of the Strikebreakers Act is to ensure a balance of power in labor disputes between employer and their employees and unions."
Lindall said AFSCME sent a letter to the university on April 15 indicating that the union identified several contractors who the university apparently had hired to do temporary work and urged the university to stop using them. He said the university gave no response.
"That fits a pattern of the university refusing to negotiate," he said.
The suit names as plaintiffs AFSCME Council 31, Local 1110 President Chuck Carver, Normal Township Supervisor Krystle Able and two ISU students.
An ISU spokesperson said on Wednesday afternoon the university has not received any formal notification from the court regarding the lawsuit.
"While as a general practice, the University does not comment on pending litigation, it does follow a state procurement process that ensures it is compliant with the law," spokesperson Chris Coplan said.
No court date has been set. The case has been assigned to McLean County Judge Rebecca Foley.
This lawsuit is the second legal filing related to the strike. ISU's faculty union filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the university last week, alleging its members were asked to work in place of the striking AFSCME employees.
ASFCME workers went on strike April 8 after working without a contract since last June 30. The two sides last met on April 15 with a federal mediator and were unable to come to agreement.
The university has said its offer is "comparable with pay for comparable roles" in the local marketplace.
"Illinois State's current offer to the Union does just that," the university stated on its website.
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