* House Speaker Michael Madigan’s proposal to limit state employee contractual wage increases to zero passed the House yesterday 84-29. Several Republicans voted with the union, including Springfield’s Raymond Poe and Rich Brauer…
“There should be a contract negotiated,” Poe said. “If Quinn wants to tell them there’s zero (money for raises) in the negotiation, that’s the way it should be done, rather than forcing it on them.”
Brauer said the state needs to cut entitlement programs before it eliminates pay raises.
“They’ve made promises to workers, and now they’re taking it away to keep entitlements,” he said.
In all, 14 HGOPs sided with AFSCME: Bost, Brauer, Brown, Cavaletto, Hammond, Mathias, Bill Mitchell, Jerry Mitchell, Moffitt, Poe, Reis, Rosenthal, Saviano and Watson.
* The Speaker’s statement…
“We’re telling the negotiators, ‘Don’t be sending us a bill for (wage) increases when we are in the process of reducing every other area of state government,’” Madigan said.
* Background…
AFSCME and Quinn’s office are still negotiating a contract, with the next meeting set for December. AFSCME officials have said they are willing to consider a one-year freeze on wages, but Quinn wants the union to OK a freeze for the duration of their next contact.
Last weekend, Quinn ruffled feathers by ending the union’s contract with the state, which expired this past June, but was extended during the ongoing negotiations.
* Meanwhile, in another development, check out the new proposal introduced by Sen. John O. Jones (R-Mt. Vernon)…
Authorizes the Senate Appropriations Committees to jointly: (1) review the misconduct and mismanagement in the Illinois Department of Corrections; (2) review the physical condition, the size and composition of the inmate population, and any specific and immediate needs of each correctional facility managed or operated by the State; (3) hold public hearings, take testimony, and request detailed and specific information relating to the inmate population and staff of any individual correctional facility managed or operated by the State, as well as the State’s prison system at large; and (4) issue their findings and recommendations in a final report outlining a long-term objective plan for the State’s correctional facilities, the populations they hold, and the workforce needed to best protect the citizens of Illinois, by September 1, 2013.
Urges the Governor to seek the immediate resignations of the Director, Executive Chief, Deputy Chief of Operations and Southern Illinois Deputy Director, then begin an immediate internal investigation into the negligence and corruption within the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Urges the Governor not to close any prison facilities proposed to be closed.
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- Old Timer - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:04 am:
I suggest we cancel Quinn’s “contract” with the voters. I highly doubt he relishes the thought of giving up ANY of his “perks”.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:07 am:
–“They’ve made promises to workers, and now they’re taking it away to keep entitlements,” he said.–
What entitlements are those, specifically? Perhaps an entitlement of $1 million from the state for Springfield to host a high school rodeo?
If I recall, that was an unbearable cut to Reps. Poe and Brauer.
- Give Me A Break - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:10 am:
But wait, Poe is “Mr. Sangamon County GOP Less Govt. Do More With Less”. Except for:
Cutting funding for the High School Rodeo.
Closing state facilites.
Telling his voters No on pay raises.
Other than that, Poe is all about smaller govt. and doing more with less.
- Ahoy! - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:12 am:
Is is not better for the legislature to way in on salary increases on the front end instead of the back end like last year when the raises were not budgeted? This actually seems very appropriate.
Sorry for my ignorance, but does the legislature vote on the AFSME contract?
- Sinister - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:12 am:
the goal, for some, is the eradication of high school rodeos altogether
- Jimbo - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 11:57 am:
I don’t understand why people keep saying four year contract. By law can’t the contract only go until 6/30 the year after the next gubernatorial election, so 6/15. That’s 2.5 years, not 4.
- reformer - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
By all means the legislature should investigate conditions in DOC. Several years ago a House Committee on Prison Reform investigated TAMMS and revealed indefensible abuses.
- Crime Fighter - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
Do the “affordable” tax breaks to high-dollar corporations count as entitlements?
Do the salaries of corrupt and inept state agency directors, their deputies, and the cost of their legal representation count as entitlements?
- Sgtstu - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:31 pm:
To all who voted no on this I would like to say thank you !! To all A.F.S.C.M.E. members and retires, remember who voted for you and who did not. It would seem the tables have turned in Illinois, most of the Dems no longer support the working men and women of this state and now the Republicans do. Don’t believe me just look at the actions of the Gov.
- Crime Fighter - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:50 pm:
What’s really matters are the republicans in practice who stand against the workers.
Pat Quinn
Mike Madigan
Lisa Madigan (Quinn’s lawyer)
- Rusty618 - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 12:53 pm:
Our legislators have no business putting their nose into the AFSCME contract negotiations anyhow. All they want is to make sure there is enough money in the budget to give themeselves a raise and/or a COLA next year.
- uniongal - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 1:22 pm:
The proposal merely rubs salt in our wounds. Aside from fanning the flames, I can’t see the purpose of it. Should AFSCME give up on PQ and start negotiation with MM now? Is that how it should work? What’s the purpose of even negotiating? It’s just disrespectful. If i didn’t know better, I’d think Madigan is trying to force a strike.
- State worker - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 1:38 pm:
Don’t leave out the Department of Juvenile Justice and the mismanagement and scandles there. They should all be investigated and replaced also.
- Irish - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 1:53 pm:
“We’re telling the negotiators, ‘Don’t be sending us a bill for (wage) increases when we are in the process of reducing every other area of state government,’” Madigan said.
When questioned on whether the GA ever negotiates for their raises the Speaker said, “Negotiators? We don’t need no stinkin negotiators. We want it we get it.”
When questioned if the GA raises, perks, special session money, or pensions were going to be treated the same, The Speaker gave a incredulous look at the questioner and bit his apple in half.
Thank you 14 named GOP members and the 15 Dems who voted against this bill.
To the rest of the Mushrooms too timid to come off the bench, not so much. We will remember.
To union hierarchy. I DO NOT Want to see a flyer before the next election that asks me to vote for any Dems in the 84 that voted for this. So don’t even think about it!!!!
- Walk in my shoes - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 3:52 pm:
- State worker - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 1:38 pm:
Don’t leave out the Department of Juvenile Justice and the mismanagement and scandles there. They should all be investigated and replaced also.
I would love to see it happen. The Director has destroyed what IDJJ was meant to be. The Chief of Staff for IDJJ HAS ZERO experience in Juvenile Criminal behavior and to be honest acts like a spoiled brat just determined to get her way despite the safety of youth or staff. A Director of Programs who has already destroyed two or three state cars with no investigation. It is an executive branch that is more concerned with how pretty everything looks to the John Howard Association, the MacArthur Foundation and anyone else in a non-profit organization looking for state funded dollars than it is with truly rehabilitating the youth in the system. I guess it is no surprise these clowns were appointed by the King of Clwns.
- Shocking - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 4:19 pm:
Afscme only aggressive to freeze colas for 1 year. They are still demanding 4.5% annual step increases, for all salary caps to go up etc.
It’s not a pay freeze with the step increases left in.
- Honest Abe - Thursday, Nov 29, 12 @ 7:34 pm:
I always like when people talk about entitlements but, never put a plan on the table as to how they would go about it. I’m not saying it does not need to be done but, just what is your plan. Please spell it out or do not even bring it up if you don’t have a plan.
- KurtInSpringfield - Friday, Nov 30, 12 @ 7:56 am:
We (IL State Employees) are not overpaid. As a matter of fact, when direct job to job comparisons are done, Most IL state workers are underpaid.
A recent study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee revealed that state workers earned 11 percent less and local workers 12 percent less than comparable private sector workers between 2000 and 2008. Here in Illinois, state and local employees did even worse over the same period, with differentials of 12.5 percent and 13.3
percent, respectively. “Public workers get lower pay than private-company employees even when benefits are included,” Bloomberg reported. “Total compensation is 6.8 percent lower for state employees and 7.4 percent less for local workers [and] the pay gap is widening”.
Last year I personally made about $12,000 less than the average pay in IL for the job I am doing according to the U.S. Dept of Labor.
What happened to contract law in this state? It’s the legislature that gave the governor the authority to negotiate multi-year contracts. Now they are saying if the governor signs a contract we don’t agree with, we won’t honor it? I am surprised the governor is going along with this. The legislative branch is encroaching on executive powers. If the legislature continues down this path, the governor won’t have any authority to negotiate any contracts without the approval of the GA.
- Frank - Friday, Nov 30, 12 @ 11:57 am:
@Honest Abe: Challenge accepted. Medicaid is one of the fastest growing entitlements we have. Demand for services is increasing.
Currently, all the holder of a green card needs to do is show up at a medical facility and receive treatment. There is no co-pay or other expense to the consumer of these services.
I have a co-pay on my plan for every service. Why don’t we limit demand AND recover some of the cost with co-pays?
Prescription drugs: $5 each
Dr Office visit: $10
“Urgent Care” $20
Emergency care $40
With these co-pays, the costs to the patient are not burdensome but would be enough to cause second thoughts before consuming services unnecessarily. The cost recovery is admittedly trivial and that is not the main goal, anyway.
Let’s limit demand for medical services to start with.
- wordslinger - Friday, Nov 30, 12 @ 12:14 pm:
–Let’s limit demand for medical services to start with.–
Gov. Palin has a phrase for that, doesn’t she? But it’s okay if we’re talking about undocumented workers. They should have gotten their paperwork straight if they wanted to get sick.
- Frank - Friday, Nov 30, 12 @ 12:34 pm:
@wordslinger: If you have something to say, please say it. Being coy gets you nothing.