IN THE STRIKE ZONE?
Ruling by state labor relations board underlines there’s no clear path to AFSCME- Rauner resolution
After 67 negotiating sessions and an official declaration of an impasse, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration and the union representing 38,000 state employees are still at odds on a number of contract issues — which may prompt a first- time strike for the union.
Administration officials described the lengthy bargaining sessions — packed with hundreds of workers riled up by union leaders — as “an exercise in futility.” And the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 say they’re dealing with a governor intent on weakening unions throughout the state, who announced an “anti- union” executive order on fair share agreements as the two sides sought to find common ground. Talks have been testy since February 2015.
Tuesday’s decision by the Illinois Labor Relations Board to declare an impasse — three of its five members appointed by former Gov. Pat Quinn — essentially leaves the union with three choices: accepting Rauner’s final offer, calling a strike or hoping the board’s decision will be overturned on appeal.
But the governor’s administration can begin imposing some of its offer “as soon as operationally feasible,” including merit pay and overtime beginning at 40 hours a week, instead of 37.5
Yet, the two sides can’t even agree upon that implementation. AFSCME says nothing can be done until a written ruling is finalized. The Rauner administration says that’s not needed to begin implementation — which may take time and occur after a written ruling is finalized. Both sides estimated the ruling would come in “weeks.”
The union is waiting for the written ruling to appeal — and to go back to its members to decide whether to accept the governor’s terms or strike. A strike would mean child protection workers, caregivers for veterans and people with mental illnesses and development disabilities, Illinois State Police dispatchers, State Crime Lab forensic scientists and State Park rangers, among other union members, could walk the picket line. The union also represents correctional officers and other security employees in prison, who are not allowed to strike.
But instead of talk about a strike — the union put on a big show of might on Thursday, protesting at 120 sites across Illinois to urge Rauner to go back to the negotiating table, instead of imposing his offer.
“We’re not placing any demands. We’re saying come back and let’s work it out. He refuses to do that. He continues to stubbornly refuse to negotiate,” AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said. “He said as a candidate he would take a strike and shut down the government and do it proudly. You have to take him at his word. We’ve seen this state with no budget. It’s his way or no way at all.”
There is little to no indication that Rauner will come back to the table, but union officials say he should. realize that the disruption of important services will hurt the people of Illinois.
A Rauner administration official with direct knowledge of the negotiations said the union’s strategy since the beginning has been to “stall” negotiations so that their previous contract would continue to be applied: “To say right now, ‘ Let’s go back to the table and negotiate’— that will accomplish absolutely nothing and that’s exactly what they want because they do not want to negotiate. They just want to last our four years under the existing contract, which will give them a huge win on something that taxpayers cannot afford.”
Rauner on Wednesday called his latest contract offer “very good for the people of Illinois” and good for taxpayers.
“Common sense. It allows good common sense changes to the system and in the long term, it’ll save $ 3 billion over the next four years. That helps with our balanced budget. It’s critically important and it’s fair on all levels,” Rauner said.
Administration officials say AFSCME rejected proposals on overtime after 40 hours and on allowing volunteers to handle some of the worker’s duties. Rauner on Thursday announced a “State Day of Service,” which union officials called a distraction from the real issues about the contract, including health care changes and a wage freeze.
The union says they’d have to pay 100 percent more in health care in the first year of the contract, and a 10 percent per year increase. There are also no pay increases over the four- year term of the contract. Lindall called that a “pay cut,” which would amount to $ 10,000 lost over four years.
But the administration official contended state workers were being covered by very expensive plans — with the vast majority of employees not opting to use the top coverage.
That means members can opt for cheaper plans and see no increase to their premiums but higher copays.
“We have to somehow be able to manage the cost of the AFSCME contract, which they got very rich benefits in the past,” the official said. “And they’ve gotten that from all the governors in the past, from [ Gov. Pat] Quinn, [ Gov. Rod] Blagojevich. They’ve gotten very, very high wage increases and so it’s our position that freezing wages for four years of their contract is not any kind of hardship for them. They can do that.”
A change in health care would affect some 365,000 state workers, their families and dependents, but not retirees. Retirees will continue to receive “platinum” coverage, which members are currently receiving, the administration said.