The number of subpoenas continues to grow in an ongoing federal investigation of contract negotiations between Eastern and one of its unions as Illinois State University was served with several earlier this summer.

The subpoenas request information on a year-long contract negotiation with a union representing 10 steam-plant employees working on Eastern’s campus, and the state’s involvement, specifically House Speaker Michael Madigan’s, D-Chicago, involvement in the negotiation.

Madigan has denied any wrongdoing in the situation.

Previously, Eastern, including Jill Nilsen, vice president of external relations; the Illinois Board of Higher Education; the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, all received subpoenas requesting information on a meeting between Madigan, local 399 and then-Eastern President Carol Surles.

Nilsen testified at the United States Federal Building in Springfield in May. The university would not comment on what Nilsen said during the testimony.

The Illinois Department of Labor, the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board and the State University Civil Service System have also received subpoenas to send information on state guidelines for such labor negotiations.

And now, several ISU officials have been summoned and all have testified, said Jay Groves, ISU director of media relations.

Groves would not say why ISU received subpoenas, but the university is cooperating with the investigation.

ISU also employs Local 399 employees at its heating plant.

Groves also wouldn’t say who at ISU testified, but according to the Bloomington Pantagraph, six ISU officials had received subpoenas, including President Victor Boschini; Stephen Bragg, vice president of finance and planning; Phil Adams, assistant to the president for governmental relations; Janet Bremner, director of human resources; Tammy Carlson, human resources officer; and Marabeth Clapp, assistant vice president for business services and human resources.

During the labor negotiations, the union requested a wage increase to meet the state’s defined prevailing wage, which Eastern was reluctant to provide.

At the union’s request, Madigan told The Daily Eastern News in April that he met with the two groups to discuss the failing negotiations, something he said he often does.

Madigan also told the DEN the university’s failure to provide the prevailing wage was “not the type of situation that I personally find to be healthy for labor relations anywhere in the state of Illinois.”

The union is a significant contributor to Madigan’s campaign.

According to the Illinois Department of Labor, the state’s prevailing wage is $29.79 per hour. After a negotiation was reached, Eastern agreed to pay $26.19 per hour during 2002 and $29.15 per hour by 2004 to the highest-paid operating engineers, a spending increase of $136,000 throughout the four years.