With more than 755,000 Illinoisans out of work, state employees are still scheduled to get their automatic raises. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is treating those raises as non-negotiable. Governors in other states would disagree.
Illinois scheduled to give $261M in automatic pay raises to state workers
Pritzker should join other Democratic governors in postponing automatic pay raises, which would free up funds for needy Illinoisans and potentially preserve state worker jobs in the long run.
Pritzker’s AFSCME deal gives 12% automatic raises, $2,500 bonus to state workers
By continuing practices such as automatic raises and taxpayer-subsidized platinum health insurance, along with a new $2,500 bonus, the AFSCME contract will transfer more than $3.6 billion in additional compensation from taxpayers to state workers.
Pritzker gives $100 million in pay raises to some of the nation’s highest paid state workers
On his first full day in office, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced he will grant costly automatic pay raises to Illinois’ state workers despite a current budget deficit of more than $1 billion.
Lame-duck House passes state government pay hikes
In the final hours of the 100th General Assembly, some state lawmakers are pushing to send a bill to incoming Gov. J.B. Pritzker that would give pay raises to state department heads.
How to make an extra $3 billion, the Illinois way
AFSCME – the largest government worker union in the state – may pull off one of the most insulting waiting games in state history. The payoff? More than $3 billion, courtesy of Illinois taxpayers.
Illinois state workers who opted out of union should see pay hikes by July
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME means state workers previously paying “fair share” fees will no longer see any money deducted from their paychecks on behalf of a union.
Bill to rein in state health care costs killed in the Senate
Senate Democrats killed a chance this week to rein in government spending, instead siding with government unions that prioritize their own power over the fiscal health of the state. Illinois taxpayers pay nearly $15,000 per state worker in health care costs alone under the most recent contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
AFSCME stall tactics are all political – and they’re costing Illinoisans millions
Illinois’ largest government worker union is likely stalling contract negotiations in hopes of dealing with a new governor in 2019.
Fact-checking BGA’s claims on ‘low-spending’ Illinois
While the Better Government Association has claimed Illinois’ budget contains no fat to trim, a deeper analysis reveals the state has many areas of expensive inefficiency to reform in state and local government costs, the Medicaid program and K-12 education.