Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago announced that its employees will have to take five furlough days. It will also have to kick hundreds of students out of their on-campus jobs. For two months now - universities across Illinois haven’t received any money from the state government because there’s no budget.
So Northeastern is making its employees take unpaid days off to save money. And a new state rule says any university furloughing certain workers must also kick some students out of their campus jobs. Northeastern estimates 300 students will lose their jobs like tutoring or answering the phones.
In a statement Northeastern’s president says “Now more than ever our elected officials in Springfield must recognize the operational and reputational damage done due to our financial starvation.” At least one union representing university employees did not agree to the furloughs.