Tagged: Governor Pat Quinn

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. 

It's the start of Illinois' new legislative session, and Governor Pat Quinn has now explained what he wants lawmakers to accomplish.  

In his fifth State of the State address since becoming governor, Quinn laid out a wide-ranging agenda:

He wants to allow same-sex couples get married and he wants to raise the minimum wage to $10 per hour. He also said lawmakers should pass a measure that would allow voters to register online.

In addition, Quinn called for a ban on the sale of assault weapons.

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.

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.