Legislators criticize Rauner over AFSCME impasse
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
Democrats and their union allies also used the eve of Rauner’s budget speech to bash the governor for his handling of his contract negotiations with state workers.
“This governor has been nothing but a disaster,” said Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago. “This governor made it plain and clear that he is here for his business community and his business friends. That’s not our goal. And if he wants a strike, a strike it will be.”
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 is in the midst of a strike authorization vote, asking its more than 30,000 state worker members if they are willing to go on strike to resist Rauner’s attempts to impose a new contract. Rauner’s contract would increase employees’ out-of-pocket health care costs and give the state greater freedom to privatize jobs currently performed by unionized workers. AFSCME contends that the contract would cost the average worker $10,000.
“That might not be much to someone who can spend $50 million and put it in their political PAC, or someone that makes over $184 million a year, but to these people and the people from our communities and the people of the state of Illinois, $10,000 is a lot of money, Gov. Rauner,” said Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, referring to Rauner’s contribution late last year to his 2018 re-election campaign account.
* AFSCME also sent out a release about yesterday’s media event…
Bridgette Mittons, an employee of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and a member of the union’s rank-and-file bargaining committee said, “In Cook County, two-thirds of the state workers represented by AFSCME are African-American or Latino, two-thirds are women, and more than half, like me, are women of color. Governor Rauner is trying to weaken our ladder to the middle class.” […]
“The governor’s demand for a 100% increase in what employees pay for health care would cost the average worker $10,000 and hurt communities of color most of all,” state Sen. Omar Aquino said.
“Governor Rauner, how do you ask these working people to pay $10,000 more while asking nothing of your rich friends?” state Rep. Mary Flowers asked. “Just like the state budget, Rauner’s refusal to negotiate is causing big problems for the people of Illinois.” […]
“Unless Bruce Rauner is willing to compromise, our only other option is to go out on strike. The governor doesn’t seem to care about the harm a strike would cause,” said Roberto Botello, a mental health worker and member of AFSCME. “As public service workers, we are very concerned. We know that in the Chicago area a strike would hit African-American and Latino communities hardest.”
“Bruce Rauner should return to the bargaining table today and keep Illinois working,” state Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch said.
Senator Cristina Castro and representatives Jaime Andrade, La Shawn Ford, Sonya Harper and Christian Mitchell were also in attendance.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:15 am:
AFSCME better be prepared, if they do go on strike, to defend themselves from the Governor spinning the strike as AFSCME not caring about the helpless and defenseless that AFSCME just walked out on and that the Governor cares about. You KNOW that’s going to be his media message … and the one thing this Governor is good about is staying on message.
- Ractin - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:18 am:
How much is considered middle class? Doesnt Ms. Mittons make roughly $85k, and her husband makes $131k? Just for clarity.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:21 am:
== How much is considered middle class? ==
These days, a lot of people stretch it all the way from $35K to $250K, although a lot of us would define it a bit narrower.
- Truthteller - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:21 am:
I don’t think the treatment Rauner’s treatment of community operated social service- disability, domestic violence, etc.- agencies gives him any credibility as someone who cares about anything but Bruce Rauner
- Kevin Highland - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:22 am:
@Ractin: This website “defines” middle class for every state.
http://www.businessinsider.com/middle-class-in-every-us-state-2015-4
- City Zen - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:22 am:
==“In Cook County, two-thirds of the state workers represented by AFSCME are African-American or Latino, two-thirds are women, and more than half, like me, are women of color. Governor Rauner is trying to weaken our ladder to the middle class.”==
Actually, the first rung on that middle class ladder could be an accounting clerk at a small accounting firm, software tester, ballet teacher, cook, making jewelry in your home, etc. No one said that first rung has to be in government.
So the argument is the state has a diverse workforce, yet when the state attempts to move in a direction that does not benefit said workforce, it is intentionally hurting minorities. When a minority group is the majority, can they still expect to be treated like a minority? We hear the same arguments made about the U.S. Postal Service.
- Chicagonk - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:25 am:
That $10,000 number has to be pulled out of a hat. AFSCME should back it up with facts if they are going to use that number.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:28 am:
Rep. Flowers is spot-on and mentioned something that is real troublesome to me, and something that I’ve railed about–that the governor is forcing harsh concessions on state workers while sparing the super-rich like himself and his funders from any extra sacrifice, or any sacrifice at all, if he had an all-GOP state government.
Rauner sheds crocodile tears over state worker pay, because it allows him to continue with his budget ruse. He’s doing it because it benefits him politically. He shows his real feelings about state workers by trying to eliminate their collective voices on the job and forcing harsh cuts on them.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:28 am:
== I don’t think the treatment Rauner’s treatment of community operated social service- disability, domestic violence, etc.- agencies gives him any credibility as someone who cares about anything but Bruce Rauner ==
-Truthteller-, I agree with you. John Q Public probably doesn’t; all he knows is the sound bites he hears when he finally tunes in from his busy life. And Rauner and his team.is great with sound bites …
- kitty - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:29 am:
Largely agree with Honeybear’s well stated commentary yesterday regarding President Cullerton’s letter to AFSCME. Virtually nobody in the IL GA is publicizing concerns that Gov Rauner removed the requirement to demonstrate cost effectiveness before privatizing services, notably the Senate President and Speaker. This is bad for taxpayers. Looks like AFSCME is being sold out.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:30 am:
1.4% - Thank you for your comments, now go down the hall to somebody who might really care about you and your problems.
- Texas Red - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:32 am:
Well the battle lines are clear - AFSCME35,000 state employee’s versus the rest of the state. And the flip side of this issue is that the rest of the residents of Illinois(those of us not members of AFSCME or employed by the state) could /should blame Madigan and the Dem’s for not budging on cost containment or eliminating inefficiencies in the state budget.
- James - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:35 am:
AFSCME admitted their proposal is a modest increase. An increase is still an increase and the state can’t afford it. But on the other hand how can you expect people to pay more for insurance and not give them a raise? A compromise is in there somewhere but the Union and Rauner wouldn’t be happy with it. So they both want to go with the nuclear option. They both suck.
- Ractin - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:36 am:
Kitty,https://www.illinois.gov/oeig/investigations/Documents/15-01333_IDOT_and_State_Use_Committee.pdf Not the first time cost analysis wasnt used.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:36 am:
== That $10,000 number has to be pulled out of a hat. ==
Doesn’t seem that far out of line. Over a 4 year contract, between no raises and doubled health cares costs the first year with more increases to come in subsequent years, I can quickly estimate $8K - $10K, depending on current salary.
- T Sowell - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:38 am:
Middle Class is a label, and the political class loves to use labels to artificially divide us, and then pander to particular classes in order to create bases of support. I rather preferred to use the term “America” when describing my fellow citizens regardless of income.
- HangingOn - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:38 am:
==Doesnt Ms. Mittons make roughly $85k, and her husband makes $131k==
Just curious, where did you get that info? Per the salary database she makes a little under 64k. I don’t know who her husband is, but the only other Mittons listed lives in a different county than her and makes a little under 65k.
- meanwhile - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 10:44 am:
Pass some of the love onto other state workers who are the second class citizens when it comes to pay. Many contract workers are going on 10 plus years without a raise. The intention of paying them less is to help keep costs in line so others can profit. Maybe we should also look at how the state treats them.
- AC - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:00 am:
It’s a nice thought, I do think these legislators care, I really do. However, I’m not sure how that helps. Unless these Democratic legislators back up their criticism with something more substantial, their sentiments don’t mean a whole lot more than Rauner’s legislators urging him to come back to the bargaining table. The only difference is I think these Democratic legislators mean what they’re saying, but at the end of the day, does it really matter?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:02 am:
==Doesnt Ms. Mittons make roughly $85k, and her husband makes $131k==
I’ll use myself as an example. I’m an attorney and make $67k as a Tier 2 Step 2 AFSCME member state employee. I didn’t get a raise because my pay is frozen. Private sector attorneys make a lot more than me. There. Fixed it.
- Nero's Fiddle - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:08 am:
Don’t forget that if AFSCME loses this battle, all other non-union government employees in Illinois will get the same raw deal. All other union government employees in Illinois will either get it “put to them” immediately -or- in their next (terrible) contract. The Governor’s ultimate aim is to eliminate as many unions in Illinois as he can.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:21 am:
Blue collar and Echo. Not worried about the public. Grievances are beyond their sight and the don’t give a crap about us anyway. Right? Haven’t cared about us enough to give pushback to Rauner.
My words were not aimed at the public
I just put a shot across the anti Union LEAD team
Your little attorney salaries are not going to be worth the headache that Honeybear is organizing. Oh and I forgot up mention my use of retirees. They’ve got a huge beef since their healthcare is pegged to ours and will double. Because they can’t take it out on management anymore they will be given ample opportunity to take it out in other ways. Remember. They have plenty of time during the day up let loose.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:29 am:
==Oh and I forgot up mention my use of retirees. …They have plenty of time during the day up let loose.==
And since they don’t pay state income taxes on their pensions, they have plenty of extra money to “let loose” as well. Or pay increased health premiums. Whatever works for them.
- Nero's Fiddle - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:37 am:
“Uncle JT” has said that retiree healthcare will not be affected by the battle with AFSCME. If anyone believes that, just check out Rauner’s new contract that completely removes the right of the union to bargain on behalf of retirees. If AFSCME goes down, retiree healthcare will quickly become “Obamacare/Trumpcare”.
- So tired of political hacks - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:46 am:
All of you union and public employee haters need to put away your torches/pitchforks and realize what your doing. Bruce and his top 1% buddies want everyone to point the finger at someone else so they can keep reaping in the millions while we fight over the crumbs. While the citizens and future children of Illinois pay the bill. The goal shouldn’t be to tear everyone but the wealthiest 1% down, it should be to bring everyone up. We need in Trumps words to make Illinois great again. That’s what gets you business and taxes.
- AC - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 11:46 am:
The rules above the comment box would be equivalent to the entirety of Cliff’s Notes for Macbeth being “don’t lose your head”. While correct, such a truncation of the actual commenting rules makes what is listed above seem entirely inadequate. Perhaps one day, many years from now, through the process of elimination, I will eventually determine what those rules actually are.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 12:10 pm:
Keep trying AC! I love your comments! I feel like royalty when 60 percent of my posts make it to print!
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 12:16 pm:
“That $10,000 number has to be pulled out of a hat.” As does the Administration’s contention that the AFSCME contract offer will cost $3B. Yet here we are.
- VanillaMan - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 12:39 pm:
Rauner’s supporters won’t stop supporting him until they see how his anti-union beliefs are raising their taxes.
Empathy doesn’t work.
Show them how his policies are raising their taxes.
- AC - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 12:47 pm:
Thanks Honeybear! What I was trying to say is, ask management how they’ll be impacted by the proposed by the governor. Usually they don’t have an answer from their LEAD training. A lot of them haven’t had a raise in over a decade, so the question hits home.
- Ractin - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 12:52 pm:
- Anonymous, all state employees pay is online. You looked at previous pay. I looked at $7,065 as a base pay per month, without retirement contributions.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 1:02 pm:
== If anyone believes that, just check out Rauner’s new contract that completely removes the right of the union to bargain on behalf of retirees. ==
Technically, the union does not have the right to bargain on behalf of the retires. It is custom, not law, that extends the union health benefits to the retirees.
- Nero's Fiddle - Wednesday, Feb 15, 17 @ 2:05 pm:
RNUG == Technically, the union does not have the right to bargain on behalf of the retires. It is custom, not law, that extends the union health benefits to the retirees. ==
That’s correct, but the language in our (now lapsed) union contract gave us the right to at least try to protect retiree benefits as best we could. Rauner’s new contract will not even let us bring the subject up in any future talks.
To all State of Illinois Retirees - you will be more than welcome to join us on the picket lines in the event of a strike!