The American Federation of State, County and Municipal employees has used stall tactics in labor negotiations, in an apparent attempt to wait out the state till more union-friendly lawmakers could be elected and hand AFSCME its demands outside the contract negotiating process.
Many educators are wary of a strike’s hardships and long-term consequences for students, their families and the educators themselves. These teachers can remove themselves from CTU authority and the conflict between union priorities and students’ needs.
Resigning from the union before the potential upcoming strike can protect teachers from union discipline.
AFSCME wants the state to hike taxes on Illinois residents to fund the union’s demands for salary and benefit increases.
On Sept. 2, a state administrative law judge issued a 400-page recommendation regarding the status of contract negotiations between Illinois and the state’s largest government-worker union. Three important things to know about the decision include: the state and AFSCME are in uncharted territory in their negotiation-related proceedings, the judge found the parties have reached impasse on 5 of 12 contested issues and the judge questioned AFSCME’s testimony and behavior during negotiations.
From 2005 to 2014, AFSCME worker salaries grew 5 times faster than Illinois workers’ earnings.
Familiarity with labor law terminology helps Illinoisans understand the impact of government-worker unions and the need for labor reform in the state.
Illinois taxpayers have won a partial victory in the first round of impasse proceedings between the state and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, as the administrative law judge’s ruling puts the state closer to implementing its last contract offer to state AFSCME workers.
An administrative law judge could issue a decision as early as Sept. 1 on whether Illinois state workers and the governor are at an impasse in contract negotiations. Here’s a rundown of the proceedings between Illinois’ largest government-worker union and the state, as well as their potential impact on residents and state employees.
Illinois state workers can opt out of union membership to become fair share payers, but reforms such as Right to Work and Worker’s Choice would promote greater worker freedom and benefit the state.
National Employee Freedom Week spotlights the ability of all Illinois workers – including state employees – to opt out of unions, and outlines the reforms needed to ensure true worker freedom.
AFSCME does all it can to perpetuate the myth that it is the “little guy” – the victim – in any contract negotiations with the state. The evidence paints a different picture.
Fair share payers cannot be penalized by a union for working during a strike. And the state has just made it easier for Illinois AFSCME members to become fair share payers.
Two bills attempting to provide taxpayer-funded training programs for SEIU would have been costly for the state.