The State-Journal Register reports:
Contract negotiations between the state of Illinois and the union that represents more than 35,000 state employees are showing public signs of contention.
The union, Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, recently set up brief informational picket lines across the state, and AFSCME is planning a march in Springfield on June 23, shortly before the current contract expires at the end of the month.
In particular, AFSCME accuses the state of wanting to push sharply higher health-care costs onto employees.
At the same time, a coalition of business groups is advocating cuts in state employee benefits, including a higher retirement age for new employees and a requirement that retirees pay part of their own health insurance premiums.
AFSCME is fighting back on both fronts.
“We’ve had money problems (as a state) in the past and have always been able to get a fair contract,” said Julie Nunes, 50, of Dawson, an office specialist for the Illinois Department of Transportation. She also is president of AFSCME Local 2813, which represents about 225 workers with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Department of Central Management Services. “I’m hopeful that we can again this time.
“We’re very disturbed by the state’s proposal at this point, where they want to increase our premiums and our prescription costs,” Nunes said. “Right now, the proposal amounts to a cut in pay.”
Anders Lindall, AFSCME spokesman, said the union doesn’t think employee-benefit costs are the source of the state’s fiscal problems.
and this gem:
Lindall dismissed the views of the business groups, which include the Civic Federation, the Illinois Business Roundtable, the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and The Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, as outsiders.
“These right-wing and big-business groups are not at the bargaining table,” Lindall said. “We think it’s inappropriate for them to insert their anti-worker ideology into this negotiation. It’s certainly not helpful to settling a fair agreement.”
Anders Lindall likes negotiating with politicians on AFSCME's pad.
