State Workers Could Lose Pay to Budget Stand Off

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State Workers Could Lose Pay to Budget Stand Off


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Chris,

Last night, Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed an injunction to dissolve the court order that has allowed state employees to continue to be paid despite the State not having a budget. (http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/2QA/ni0YAA/t.24c/2WTh6zevR86w3UkvFRpzwA/h0/XV-2BEeMFBDv2zUuVMM7fzEcizzbSYvVIQu34gkB2z8e9Np9pmpqk FekXpY4v3hqQyCV2W3yU2VVsH1YobSOXZQaf2iGPqLSPpcq-2FMU9kZDtwv0jt-2FGTThqt3ZHCKlmrVA5rgVN1Ouvr2CQ1IE9GO1r5-2BZE9UeIvKWi472YnCrNqERacZp7hC9znc3gaG4AFpcQk662-2BQ9iLBVjv3h4Y2OZm2dqrAwIkeM7A-2FxOTlUwfc5lUp90gqZWaq2KzXRw84546wpz6ROuQKs4Z2bH-2BMnAtHcEqS9yXjidya9vNPU88VmruTA3KOVpwUnM0NSGMag7X 9RQEO82hFZVUmzfSPw1zcYuWLgXrRrbzurq9-2FrgZFVHE9SNekpsdvpqIdFiAufgf-2F3oB3aU0DhCkUkTFNSA5JdEzlSJpbp4PvxuBUYWQl2RBA0HxC f03DgbRcIfSca) More than 60,000 state employees would stop being paid as of February 28th, 2017.

Which workers are affected and how?
Mostly state workers represented by AFSCME will be affected, along with SEIU HCII child care providers and home care workers who provide services to people with disabilities through the DORS program. It's worth noting that home and child care providers are among the lowest paid people in our state and many earn below the hourly minimum wage.

How does this change the ongoing budget fight?
Now, there will be more pressure than ever for Springfield to pass a budget.

CALL RIGHT NOW and let our elected leaders know that we want a full and fair budget, with new revenue from wealthy individuals and corporations, without concessions to erode workers' rights and wages!

Call Governor Bruce Rauner: 217-782-0244

Illinois Senate

President John Cullerton's Office (217) 782-2728
Minority Leader Christine Radogno Office (217) 782-7730



Illinois House of Representatives

Speaker Michael Madigan's Office (217) 782-5350
Minority Leader Jim Durkin's Office (217) 782-0494


You can contact your state representative and senator by using this site:
https://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza's statement nicely sums up the situation: "Had Governor Rauner met his constitutional duty to propose a balanced budget in 2015 or 2016, we would not be facing a scenario where the livelihoods of our frontline employees could be threatened in this way. Due to Governor Rauner's abdication of his constitutional executive duties, our state finances continue to be managed almost wholly by court orders and judge edicts. It's shameful that under his administration, the fifth largest state in the country is forced to operate like a bankrupt business."

We will keep you updated on actions and other ways we can support these workers in their fight against Rauner.
In Solidarity,

Susan Hurley

Kassie Beyer

Chicago Jobs with Justice (http://www.chicagojwj.org/?link_id=2&can_id=3cdf51df4724d7ebfd54a77c2672a397&source=email-madigan-seeks-to-stop-state-workers-pay&email_referrer=madigan-seeks-to-stop-state-workers-pay___159319&email_subject=state-workers-could-lose-pay-to-budget-stand-off)

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http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/02/03/illi-f03.html


Illinois governor threatens to dispatch National Guard if state workers strike

By George Gallanis

3 February 2017

Last week, Republican Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, a multimillionaire, threatened to replace Illinois state workers with the National Guard if they go on strike. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31, which covers 38,000 state workers, began a strike authorization vote on January 30.

The current labor contract between AFSCME and the state of Illinois expired on June 30, 2015. Rauner first stated in 2015 that he was “pursuing all options,” which included the use of the National Guard and retired workers as strikebreakers. The Rauner administration recently reiterated this threat with Dennis Murashko, the governor’s general counsel, telling Illinois news media outlets, “We will look at every service option available to us,” confirming that the possible use of the Illinois National Guard as strikebreakers is “one of the options.”

Rauner has no doubt been emboldened by the coming to power of President Donald Trump and the anti-working class government he has assembled. Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence, has been in talks with Wisconsin’s Republican governor Scott Walker about imposing sweeping attacks on federal employees like Walker did to state workers in 2011.

During his campaign for governor in 2014, Rauner said, “We may have to do what Ronald Reagan did with the air traffic controllers … sort of a do-over and shut things down for a while.” The ominous threat was a reference to Reagan’s 1981 firing of 11,345 striking air traffic controllers, the jailing of union leaders and smashing of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO). Reagan banned the fired controllers from working in a federal agency for life, decimating the careers of thousands of workers.

In November 2016, the Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB) declared that negotiations between the state and the union had reached an impasse after Rauner requested that ILRB intervene, allowing the governor to begin unilaterally implementing his draconian contract, which included a four-year wage freeze and a doubling of health insurance premiums. Last December, however, an Illinois circuit court judge agreed to a request by AFSCME to place a temporary stay on the implementation of Rauner’s contract.

In response, AFSCME proposed a new contract, with much of it aligning to Rauner’s proposed cuts, including a four-year wage freeze and an increase in the out-of-pocket costs for health insurance. Rauner rejected the offer, refusing to negotiate further, leading AFSCME to initiate the strike authorization vote, which will reportedly be complete in mid-February.

Roughly 30,000 of state workers in AFSCME are strike eligible. Restricted from striking are public safety employees who work in adult and juvenile correctional facilities. It is uncertain if the judicial stay on the impasse declared by ILRB will be lifted or made permanent. There is a possibility it may take months before a conclusion is reached.

The Republican governor has already taken the measure of his supposed opposition. AFSCME has never called a strike and the unions are far more frightened of unleashing the anger of workers than working out a dirty deal with Rauner. As the AFSCME web site noted: “Making clear that this framework did not represent the union’s ‘last, best and final offer’ on these issues, [Roberta] Lynch [executive director for AFSCME Council 31] stressed that the union stands ready to negotiate further on all other outstanding issues.”

In fact, AFSCME officials, who are aligned with the state Democratic Party, no doubt welcome the strikebreaking threats to help wear down the resistance of rank-and-file to concessions. The ILRB has joined in these threats.

In an email to AFSCME state workers, John Terranova, the Deputy Director of Labor Relations for the State of Illinois, threateningly wrote, “The State will vigorously pursue all lawful means at its disposal for challenging an unlawful strike. Even if a strike by AFSCME is determined to be legal, employees may be replaced. Unless an unfair labor practice caused the strike, striking employees may not automatically have the right to have their job back at the end of the strike. They would only have the right to vacancies IF they were qualified and IF one exists.”

Terranova repeated this threat in another recent email, writing, “Replacement workers can be hired to maintain services during a strike, and in some cases, those replacement workers may be permanent.”

Commenting on capitolfax.com, one worker wrote, “I think all of these emails are borderline harassing. It’s important to note that in every one of these emails they put the not-so-veiled threat out there that if you strike you may be replaced. Either they want the union to strike and are hoping these harassing emails will make people vote to strike or they are completely incompetent and don’t understand how these emails aren’t helpful.”

It is possible, if not likely, that Rauner has sought to provoke a strike from the beginning. He is counting on the state unions to react no differently than the AFL-CIO did when Reagan fired the PATCO strikers: leaving the embattled workers isolated in the face of state repression until they were worn down and defeated.

The forces arrayed against workers are threatening. However, they have far more potential allies. Millions of workers in Illinois and around the country—from autoworkers, Caterpillar workers, railroad workers and truckers to teachers, firefighters, high school and college students and all those who rely on public services—are being thrown into struggle against the Trump administration and the austerity measures imposed by Democrats and Republicans alike.

State workers must take the conduct of this struggle into their own hands by electing rank-and-file committees, independent of AFSCME, the AFL-CIO, and other unions. These committees should call on every section of the working class to defend state workers against Rauner’s attacks. Above all, the fight to defend the social rights of the working class—for secure and good-paying jobs, health care, a comfortable retirement and essential social services—requires an independent political struggle by the working class against the capitalist system, and the looting of society’s resources by the corporate and financial aristocracy.

The author also recommends:

Illinois attorney general files request to halt state workers’ pay

[30 January 2017]

Illinois AFSCME sets strike authorization vote

[21 January 2017]

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creating the state we want to live in


Chris, we wanted to say thanks to everyone who got on the Illinois People’s Agenda statewide call on Wednesday. If you didn’t get a chance to get on the call, you can listen to a recording of it here (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=R4KfZasdc300jYJq62kBMGA7gAZt%2FEgx).

We had a great conversation with progressive leaders and callers from around the state about the Illinois People’s Agenda, a bold new plan to turn Illinois into the state we deserve - one that invests in the people of our state, keeps our communities safe, and raises the resources to fully fund our schools and rebuild our state. Now we need your help.

Tell Your State Legislators to Support the Illinois People’s Agenda (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=476uBfu2ismgDMv1%2BDG8MGA7gAZt%2FEgx)

http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50914/images/GRCStopDisinvestment.png (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Xm4pSDTOI941cRHRH9pswmA7gAZt%2FEgx)

The Illinois People’s Agenda 2017 legislative platform includes bills that will concretely improve the lives of Illinois families, such as:

- Increasing the state minimum wage to $15 an hour

- Protecting our immigrant communities

- Putting TIF dollars back into our schools to support special education and wrap-around services

- Closing the tax loophole used by Wall Street money managers to raise $473 million to fund our schools and vital social services

- Allowing more parents to keep working and going to school by restoring cuts to the child care assistance program


If you think it’s time our state start investing in our communities instead of disinvesting, then join us and tell your state legislators to support the People’s Agenda. (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=MdRUe0X6hTmtWvgcfZ0MK2A7gAZt%2FEgx)

Together we will win,

Abbie Illenberger

Grassroots Collaborative

P.S. You call also help support the People’s Agenda by talking to your legislator in person in Springfield. You can get on a bus with us on April 25th for the Women’s March to Springfield, and on April 27th for the Teach Out for Higher Education. Reply to this email if you are interested in joining us.

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This could change everything in IL


Chris, big news!

Yesterday, the Illinois Senate passed SB 1719, a privilege tax on Hedge Fund and Private Equity Managers who exploit the carried interest tax loophole. Instead of asking for more sacrifices from our communities, this bill taxes a small group of extremely wealthy money managers who have profited for years at the expense of services and taxpayers. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue this bill would generate $1.7 billion in the first 12 months.

This bill could be a game changer for Illinois. Residents have been suffering for years as the state has disinvested in our communities, claiming insufficient revenue. $1.7 billion every year would go a long way toward fully funding education and vital social services in Illinois. Now, we need your help to pass this bill in the Illinois House. (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mYnlLkAw9h3Wl%2BoRSQ21JpPV91JZARLs)

http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50914/images/Senate%20Passage.png (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2BrZL2RR9%2FnPx8xrDEWD0NAK5KmbeVs7%2F)

Click here to send a message to your State Representative and ask that they support closing the carried interest loophole. (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=aORsrA1m%2FDT4I6pEpmMexwK5KmbeVs7%2F)

Closing the carried interest loophole would make our tax system more fair and generates revenue our state needs. Help get SB 1719 on the Governor’s desk (http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZcXJi2pmhsXf8MVziOiPJQK5KmbeVs7%2F).

Together we will win the state we deserve,

Abbie Illenberger
Grassroots Collaborative



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Grassroots Collaborative is: Action Now, American Friends Service Committee - Great Lakes Region, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Chicago Teachers Union, Enlace Chicago, Illinois Hunger Coalition, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, ONE Northside, Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois Indiana

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