AFSCME

AFSCME Members Ratify Pact

Amanda Vinicky — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:38:51 +0000

Members of the largest public employees union in Illinois voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new contract with the state. 96% of those who voted were in favor of the pact.

AFSCME and Governor Pat Quinn's administration reached a deal in late February. But in order for it to take effect, a majority of the union's members had to agree to it.

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said this may have been the toughest negotiations the union's ever experienced.

Retirees to Help Pay for Healthcare

Amanda Vinicky — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:29:57 +0000

Retired state workers in Illinois now know how much they will be required to contribute to their health care costs. The details are in the tentative contract agreement between the state and AFSCME.

The pact also will give the state the savings it had already been counting on.

Until now, state and university employees who retired after long government careers had not been required to pay any health care premiums. A new state law changed that, but how much they would pay was subject to contract negotiations, which dragged on for 15 months.

AFSCME Contract Agreement in Illinois

Brian Mackey — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:38:26 +0000

After 15 months of negotiating, Illinois' largest government-employee union has reached a tentative contract deal with the administration of Governor Pat Quinn.

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said the specifics will be kept private for now.

“It's a three-year agreement. The details are going to be reviewed by our entire rank-and-file membership. ... The ratification process will get started the week of this coming Monday, March 4," Lindall said.

AFSCME Continues to Consider Strike

Rich Egger — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:43:25 +0000

Illinois’ largest public employees' union is talking more about a strike. Henry Bayer, Executive Director of AFSCME, said contract talks with the governor's office are going nowhere.

Bayer told Illinois Public Radio that a strike is a real possibility, and he said Governor Quinn is the catalyst. Bayer said Quinn's termination of the union's previous contract and his attempts to force cuts in pay and benefits has workers ready to go on the picket line.

Illinois House Adjourns Without Vote on Pension Plan

Amanda Vinicky — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:11:33 +0000

Over the protests of state employee unions, an Illinois House committee gave bipartisan support to a plan intended to repair Illinois' underfunded pensions. But the full House adjourned Monday without taking a vote.

The legislation would leave workers paying more for a smaller retirement benefit. House Republican leader Tom Cross said the change is necessary given the condition of Illinois' pension systems.

State Workers Propose Illinois Pension Plan

Brian Mackey — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 23:47:34 +0000

State employee unions say the leading proposals to fix Illinois' public employee pension systems are all fatally flawed, so they proposed their own plan.

Workers point out any attempt to plug the $96 billion funding shortfall must respect the state Constitution, which says benefits "shall not be diminished."

The proposals backed by Governor Pat Quinn and other political leaders attempt to get around that in order to cut retirement benefits. But AFSCME Legislative Director Joanna Webb-Gauvin said those ideas will ultimately fail in the courts.

Labor Takes One On The Chin from Illinois Democrats

Bill Knight — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:05:53 +0000

Illinois’ friends of labor must be feeling a double-whammy double-cross , as Gov. Pat Quinn last month terminated the state’s contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and House Speaker Mike Madigan revived his dormant resolution to limit raises to people who work for the state.

Illinois Governor Ends AFSCME Contract

Rich Egger — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 20:34:23 +0000

40,000 state employees in Illinois no longer have a contract.

Governor Pat Quinn on November 20 took the unprecedented step of terminating Illinois' contract with the state's largest public employees union, AFSCME.

The contract expired in June, but the two sides agreed to multiple extensions as they negotiated over a new one.

Illinois Unions vs CEOs on Pension Reform

Rich Egger — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:52:39 +0000

It's class warfare, on the policy front.

A letter from the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago shames Illinois lawmakers for not doing anything to address the state’s growing pension debt.

President Ty Fahner said unless there is a major overhaul, the systems will collapse under their own weight.

Illinois Goes After Retiree Health Insurance

Rich Egger — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:07:12 +0000

Retired state and public university employees in Illinois will have to pitch in for their health insurance under a measure approved by an Illinois House committee.

Free health insurance is a benefit given to retirees who worked long careers in Illinois government. Legislators who serve as little as four years also get free health care when they retire.