*** UPDATE *** According to AFSCME, Middletown unanimously approved a pro-union resolution last night. Click here to read it.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* Nothing yet from the governor’s office. From the Illinois AFL-CIO…
Yesterday, the Rauner anti-worker resolution failed in a Grundy County Board committee for lack of a second to pass the motion. Thank you working families of Grundy County.
City of Ottawa passes a pro-worker resolution tonight. Another strong message sent to the governor.
Tonight Litchfield rescinds approval of Rauner resolution, then votes it down. Great job by union and community in Montgomery County.
* Charleston also rescinded its pro-Rauner resolution…
City Council members put a revised version of the “Supporting Local Government Empowerment and Reform” resolution on file for public inspection during their meeting Tuesday.
However, several residents asked the council to consider dropping entirely the resolution, which supports but does not enact parts of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed right-to-work zones.
The council voted to rescind the original document and place the new document on file for public inspection. It’s available on the city’s website under “City Council and BZAP Video and Agendas;” the revised resolution will not be officially voted on for two weeks. […]
The revised resolution removes a paragraph focused on local control of collective bargaining and changes one paragraph concerning the prevailing wage, removing the term “prevailing wage” and replacing it with a statement saying state policies hinder locally owned businesses who employ local residents from bidding on local contracts, thus reducing the bidding pool.
* Ottawa…
Two proposals in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Illinois Turnaround plan were opposed by the Ottawa City Council on Tuesday.
Proposals for right-to-work zones and the local repeal of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act “would create a ‘race to the bottom’ that would reduce the pay of our community’s workforce and, therefore, harm the local businesses dependent upon local customers,” according to “A Resolution to Protect the Middle Class,” unanimously passed by the council. […]
Provisions of the Ottawa resolution include:
“Passage of a local ‘right-to-work’ ordinance would undoubtedly generate legal challenge that our government would have to fruitlessly defend at a significant cost to our taxpayers.”
“Prevailing wage laws create a level playing field for local construction contractors by forcing out-of-state contractors to bid on projects based on the skill and efficiency of their workplace, not how far they can drive down wages and benefits.”
“By benefiting local contractors, prevailing wage laws greatly increase the likelihood that construction workers from our community will be employed on the projects that their tax dollars and those of our other taxpayers fund.”
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:21 am:
“Good Morning-
Hope the Chicago City Council helps with your tally board…
I’d embrace the ‘debate’ as a ‘win’ at this point and move on. The recinding votes must sting. This resolution nightmare has to be the most deflating aspect of your boss’ shaking up.
Best,
ow”
- Are Ya Kiddin' Me? - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:25 am:
Will the Gov. consider this an “up” day?
- Wordslinger - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:27 am:
This is going great…
Rauner should have started this dog-and-pony road show with a Chicago-baiting speech and vote in the City Council.
He was going to get whacked there anyway (I trust his peeps knew that). Should have made the most of it.
Clips of angry Chicago aldermen bashing his agenda might have helped him in certain circles around the state.
- Democrat Grrrl - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:28 am:
This excruciating exercise at least has the benefit of getting union and community members fired up, mobilized and organized. They’re gonna need to stay that way to be ready for future, bigger fights.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:31 am:
I hope they just politely listen to him, then without much ado, vote it down unanimously.
- Norseman - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:34 am:
The Rauner Resolution War Room must be getting pretty tense with the recent defeats. Their problem is that city council members have figured out the scam.
- Biker - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:35 am:
This is a sideshow. Granted, this is a very good sideshow, but the real war is behind closed doors as to what gets funded.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:42 am:
I wonder what the passage of a local ‘right-to-work’ ordinances would have on companies with unions that have multiple locations in Illinois where some have local ‘right-to-work’ laws and others do not? Would such a company need multiple union contracts, say one for each locality? How would it impact the HR, accounting, and IT functions of the company? What would be the added cost, if any, to companies that need to meet the various local sets of rules?
- walker - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:42 am:
It seems like a lot of local Board chairs or Mayors got the message, and committed to Rauner’s staff that they would put the “Turnaround Resolution” on their agendas, but then couldn’t get even one other member to support it.
Motion but no second multiple times? That’s embarrassing.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:46 am:
Ottawa has it right. It is a race to the bottom. What a refreshing difference from neighboring states who have enacted right to work. We in Illinois on the whole are not falling for RTW scare tactics.
- Juvenal - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:47 am:
@Biker -
The governor’s bargaining position behind closed doors gets weaker with every city council vote.
Don’t you get that?
The term here is “hoisted by his own petard.”
@Willy -
It is probably the best advice right now, but it will never work.
In some cases, the goal posts are very fuzzy, but in this case the governor did not ask for a debate at the local level, he asked for passage of his resolution - verbatim - at the local level.
The governor cannot write a happy ending to this chapter. Like a bad story line in a struggling tv series, he just needs to kill off some characters and switch to a new plot.
His best hope is that Madigan will allow him to save face now by passing worker’s comp insurance reforms and some minor adjustments to medicaid in exchange for a promise for new revenue and dropping the rest of his turn around agenda.
He can then give his “one small step for my administration, one giant leap for the Illinois economy” speech, declare victory and move on.
- CharlieKratos - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:52 am:
I hope they didn’t write down the list of who passed the gov’s resolution with ink.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:55 am:
No body is perfect. Contrary to his own statements, not even our Governor apparently.
- Anon - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 9:59 am:
How many towns are left for him to annoy?
- Tommydanger - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:02 am:
As Bullwinkle discovered when he tried to pull a rabbit out of the hat, its time for the governor to find another hat.
- MrJM - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:06 am:
Rauner’s initial moves followed by this many steps backwards is a sign that folks are recognizing his “right to work” dance as the hustle that it is.
– MrJM
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:09 am:
Totally Screwed Up From The Start - Groff, enhanced by VanillaMan (Total Eclipse of the Heart)
Turn around,
Every now and then I get a little bit worried that everyone thinks I just a rich old clown
Turn around,
Every now and then I get a little bit tired of watching my policies get thumbs down
Turn around,
Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that my staffers don’t know what to do
Turn around,
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified that I bit off more than I can chew
Turn around agenda,
In every city and town its voted down
Turn around agenda,
In every single county, city and town
And I need it passed tonight
And I need it more than ever
And if you’ll only prove me right
We’ll see business profits forever
And we’ll only be making it right
‘Cause I can never be wrong
Shaking up Springfield isn’t a crime
Unions are a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)
I never read the news so I’m always in the dark
And that explains my last embarrassing remark
I really to be right
I need for you to support me tonight
You don’t know how hard I’ll fight!
Once upon a time I got my way
But then came Inaugural Day
My business beliefs are strong
That’s how I know everyone’s wrong
Once upon a time I won your heart
But now my plans are falling apart
I came to save the day, but -
I totally screwed up from the start
Turn around agenda
Only sees support from tiny towns
Turn around agenda
Those places that don’t have downtowns
And you need to see that I’m right
And you need to earn a lot less
If we can turn Illinois right
And be another Kentucky success
You know those corrupted unions will fight
‘Cause they run our state entirely
Together we make us pro-business once more
All you have to do is make Illinois a whore
I never listen to others, so I’m always in the dark
I made my money as a government loan shark
I really need to be right
I always win and never eat crow
Please support my Turn around show!
Totally screwed up from the start
Totally screwed up from the start
Turn around agenda!
- JoanP - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:21 am:
@ CharlieKratos - “I hope they didn’t write down the list of who passed the gov’s resolution with ink. ”
Disappearing ink. It vanishes on exposure to air. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_ink#Disappearing_inks
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:26 am:
That’s “restaurant-quality” - VanillaMan -…
- walker - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:29 am:
Unions, with their scope and depth across the state, have taken Rauner’s local resolution political tactic and turned it back on him.
Maybe the unions can borrow Rauner’s legally worthless petition drive tactic and do the same.
- Old and Tired - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:29 am:
Rich, what’s the current tally?
- Politix - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:31 am:
Vanilla Man WINS!
- Qui Tam - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:36 am:
VM @ 10:09
Totally Screwed Up From The Start - Groff, enhanced by VanillaMan (Total Eclipse of the Heart)
Illinois needs Weird Al Yankovic to produce & perform this.
weirdal.com
- walker - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:37 am:
Vanilla Man: Outstanding!
- Bluefish - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:42 am:
Bravo VM!!!
- Juvenal - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:47 am:
Vanillaman:
Get that recorded, would you?
Bravo.
- Crispy - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:48 am:
VM–I’d pay real money to buy your parodies and sayings if you combined them into an e-book and sold them on Amazon.
- Mama - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:50 am:
I think Rauner only cares about the big fish like Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, etc. passing his “right to work” agenda.
- Tommydanger - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:52 am:
Well played VM!!
- Mama - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 10:55 am:
Rich, is Rauner’s ‘right to work’ plan a tool to control the Democrats in the legislature? The legislator would have to support the anti-union ‘right to work’ bill if most of their locals did. Otherwise, why bother when the local signed document not binding.
- D.P.Gumby - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 11:00 am:
VM, original was written by Jim Steinman, who was also songwriter for Meatloaf’s biggest hits. Little did you know the ironic symbolism of your choice of satire.
- BlameBruceRauner - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 11:51 am:
Vanilla that’s a piece of art! Get someone to record that for you and sell the rights to the Union folks!
- Democrat Grrrl - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 12:17 pm:
VanillaMan, you ROCK!
- veritas - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 12:50 pm:
“Right to Work is Wrong” - excellent recent Ross Eisenbray article:
http://www.charlestondailymail.com/article/20150312/DM04/150319779
- Arsenal - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 12:52 pm:
“I think Rauner only cares about the big fish like Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, etc. passing his “right to work” agenda.”
He’s got one big problem on a lake, then…
- Arsenal - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 12:54 pm:
“is Rauner’s ‘right to work’ plan a tool to control the Democrats in the legislature?”
Not Rich, but that was certainly the intent. It’s just not working out that way. No legislator has gotten the impression that their folks at home really, really want this.
- A guy - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 1:27 pm:
Rich,
Got what we could here.
We’ve moved on.
thanks,
ck
- Demoralized - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 2:21 pm:
==Got what we could here.
We’ve moved on.==
Call them and give them that advice.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 2:23 pm:
VM–I’d pay real money to buy your parodies and sayings if you combined them into an e-book and sold them on Amazon.
Wow. That’s a very nice thing to say, thank you.
- Homer J. Simpson - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 2:55 pm:
Middletown? Seriously? Things are getting pretty bad if you are looking for any news in Middletown. Last census had their population at 324 and that was generous.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 2:57 pm:
===Things are getting pretty bad if you are looking for any news in Middletown===
The governor’s office has touted favorable votes from towns about the same size, so take a breath.
- A guy - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 2:58 pm:
===Demoralized - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 2:21 pm:
==Got what we could here.
We’ve moved on.==
Call them and give them that advice.===
LOL Demo, Sans the note, it looks like they don’t need the advice.
- Mama - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 4:50 pm:
Arsenal, thanks for the insight.
- Tournaround Agenda - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 6:11 pm:
The media are really dropping the ball on covering these resolutions. Whenever I hear of a resolution being passed, I check for local media reports on the meetings, and half the time they don’t even mention it.
- crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, May 6, 15 @ 8:30 pm:
oh, VanillaMan, thank you for rescuing such an obnoxious phrase. Now every time I hear “turnaround agenda” I’ll just belt it like Bonnie.