Lacking signs of progress after 24 bargaining sessions with Illinois’ largest government-employee union, Gov. Bruce Rauner says that “further negotiation is no longer worthwhile.” AFSCME continues to ignore the fact that the people who pay its members’ salaries and benefits, Illinois taxpayers, continue to struggle in a difficult Illinois economy. Illinois workers, faced with stagnant earnings, are now paying for AFSCME salaries that are double their own.

Illinois could have saved a cumulative $3.5 billion had AFSCME salaries simply grown at the rate of inflation since 2004.

Without a strike fund, AFSCME – which represents 60,000 state workers in Illinois – has avoided a strike. But since the union announced that the governor has walked way from contract talks, a strike could be on the horizon.

Under the union’s complicated salary formulas, yearly government-worker raises are higher than the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees would lead Illinoisans to believe.

It’s back to court for state and its unions.

Both the administration and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 have agreed to stay at the table until they reach impasse.