CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Southern Illinois University officials bargained in bad faith with the Carbondale campus’ unions during 2011 contract talks and owes 1,500 current and former employees $1.9 million in back pay for furlough days they were forced to take, an administrative law judge has ruled.

The university said in a statement Monday that it respectfully disagrees with the ruling by the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board’s Colleen Harvey and is weighing its legal options, WSIU Radio reported.