* Gov. Pat Quinn was more than a little defensive yesterday when asked by reporters about the union protesters outside the State Fair gates. The protesters were upset at Quinn’s decision to halt scheduled, contractual raises for unionized state employees…
“Sometimes you gotta tell your friends not what they want to hear, but what they need to know,” Quinn said. “I don’t know why they (union members) constantly focus only on me when the General Assembly is the one that didn’t appropriate the money in the first place.”
* One of the Senate’s budget experts wasn’t so kind to the governor, however…
But state Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, said the governor mishandled the situation. Lawmakers expected Quinn to hold down spending by not filling vacant positions, Sullivan said.
“If you enter into a contract and you make an agreement, and then you go back and say, ‘Well, I’m not going to adhere to that contract’ … it’s going to make it pretty tough to negotiate down the road,” he said.
Very true. Also, if the governor hadn’t made himself so irrelevant in the budget process last spring, he might not be in this mess today.
* But I’ll believe this when I see it…
At a news conference, one union leader suggested labor could withhold financial support over the pay raise issue.
“We can’t just give money away to politicians that turn around and screw us,” said Tim Drea, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO.
* The governor claimed that he had the support of working people, if not union leaders…
“Working people are behind me. I know that every day,’’ Quinn said.
* Yet there’s no doubt that union leaders have cranked up the rhetoric…
“With each passing day the governor leaves a more bitter taste in the mouths of public employees,” said Roberta Lynch, deputy director of AFSCME Council 31, the largest public employees union in the state and one of nine unions to present a united front against Quinn at Wednesday’s Democratic Party festivities.
Union protestors manned several entrances to the fairgrounds, holding up signs that said, “Gov. Quinn Keep Your Word” and “Collective Bargaining is the American Way.”
- Dirt Digger - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:30 am:
Also when you get dragged kicking and screaming into a full term by a razor-thin plurality by your friends you are not really in a position to tell them things they do not wish to hear.
- Seriously??? - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:36 am:
I love when unions say they aren’t going to support Democrats because they haven’t gotten everything they want. I do believe they got screwed in this situation, but really, what are you going to do? The unions would be in far worse shape under Brady or any other Republican governor. By punishing the Dems they are really only punishing themselves, especially in the current political climate.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:54 am:
You would think the unions would make an effort to cultivate support among the GOP. Not all Republicans are rabidly anti-union. Most Republican office holders have become so as they know unions routinely support and fund Democrats running against them and don’t even give them the time of day.
Funny how many business groups spread their money around between the parties.
So keep on holding up those signs and demanding action from the party and governor that takes your support as granted union guys! Maybe there is a lesson there about putting all of your eggs in one single basket.
- OneMan - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:54 am:
And sometimes you have to tell your friends you lied to them…
If AFSCME supports him at all, I think it sends a message to Democrats, do what you want, we will always be there for you. If this was a marriage I would be suggesting AFSCME move out and get a lawyer.
- Paying Attention to the Budget - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:00 am:
Have you all considered that Quinn may have a primary opponent?
- Redbright - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:01 am:
I think Quinn is right that the average citizen agrees with his action.
- aStateEmployee - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:15 am:
The Governor claims the money is not there to pay raises. Plus in defense of the lawsuit filed against the state, they claim there is not even enough money to pay current salaries for the entire fiscal year. Then why is it those affected agencies continue to hire new employees and currently have 37 job postings for openings. Why is there not a hiring freeze for those agencies? This defies logic. “We don’t have the money to pay our current employees, but we will hire new people that we don’t have the money to pay.” He could have instituted a hiring freeze for those agencies, and through attrition, saved the money necessary to make payroll and fulfill the contractual obligations.
- Both Sides Now - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 12:12 pm:
The problem with a hiring freeze/not filling vacant positions are that some of those are really necessary for the state to function. And you can’t just transfer someone in because they have to meet the qualifications of the job and the Union has rules that oversee this as well.
I agree with Redbright, I think the average citizen feels the state budget is too tight to give the Union employees another raise (part of a package that totals over 8% over a year). And it’s really hard for me to feel sorry for them - I’m one of those non-union state employees that hasn’t seen a raise in more than 3 years and had to take furlough days.
- steve schnorf - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 12:23 pm:
This reminds me a little of several years ago when AFSCME was picketing the Anna Veterans Home and Gov Edgar was going to spend time, as he always did, at the DuQuoin fair AFSCME had a huge presence on the fairgrounds, but they were quite professional.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 3:01 pm:
To be fair to the governor’s office, the GA might not have taken into consideration what positions should be eliminated versus what Quinn sees as should not be appropriated. Some positions the GA scheduled for elimination might be better for the state to fill, while eliminating some positions with people in them now might also be better for us prairie dogs.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 4:12 pm:
The unions are sending a message that they want Quinn to have a primary.
It’s that simple.
- Labor Guy - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 4:42 pm:
YD: It’s more simple than that.
The unions want their raises.
- DuPage Dave - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 8:29 pm:
As a non-union state employee who has suffered under the Blago-Quinn regime it is tempting enjoy watching my well-paid union colleagues squirm a bit. Years of no raises and furloughs are tough to take.
But Quinn is in the wrong here, and I think he knows it. True the appropriations are not at the level they should be, but I don’t believe it’s a good time to play constitutional dodge ball. I’m certain the union folks with get their increase soon enough. My guess is mid September.
Now if only Quinn would dish some raises to non-union staff besides his own team (Vaught, Kraft, etc.) and he might get a Christmas card from me this year.
- Wumpus - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:03 pm:
Patty Q, just promise them something and they will eave you alone. Agree to give them a raise or better time off. Whether or nor you will keep that promise does not matter.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:05 pm:
—-Not all Republicans are rabidly anti-unio–
Louis, I wish you were right. The old GOP of my youth has gone nut.
Tell you what, though, if you want to try to take the GOP back from the maroons and ignoramuses, I’m with you. It would be like when the DFL kicked the Commies out in Minnesota.
God know this country could use a GOP, not the Murdoch-fueled cynicism and ignorance of today.
- railrat - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:09 pm:
wouldnt it be so refreshing to see a “labor leader” to at least pretend to treat Illinois as a partnership, hey go pound your chest but in reality what stroke do you have maybe 11% nationwide and as mentioned above your polorized as Democrats while there are Republicans that understand “some” of your issues. Some of leaders are outdated and/or incompetent or both!!
- Mark - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:28 pm:
Gee, I wonder why the public would be upset with public sector workers and collective bargaining agreements when such workers are receiving 8% or 6% or 4% raises when there was a tax increase, the economy is in bad shape, and state finances are in bad shape.
That’s right up there with teachers refusing to renegotiate their collective bargaining agreements when retiring teachers receive 6% salary increases each of their last 4 years, the Board (taxpayer) is paying the teachers 9.4% contribution to the TRS pension plan, yet non tenured and even some tenured teachers are being let go and class sizes increase.
If this dysfunctional state of Illinois doesn’t make it to a Saturday Night Live skit it will be a miracle.
- Anonymous - Friday, Aug 19, 11 @ 12:12 am:
Poor, word. The word “refreshing” seems to be followig him around today.
- Anonymous - Friday, Aug 19, 11 @ 12:25 am:
===If this dysfunctional state of Illinois doesn’t make it to a Saturday Night Live skit it will be a miracle.===
Funny you should say that. I’m working on something for the Daley Show (or is Daily Show)?