* From January of 2013…
A bill restricting which state employees can join unions is on its way to Gov. Pat Quinn, who is expected to sign it. […]
State workers in middle management positions flooded to join labor unions after ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration froze their salaries, among other things. More than 96 percent of the state workforce is now unionized, the most of any state. Quinn and others said that cripples his ability to properly manage.
The bill removes about 1,900 people from unions, and another 1,600 job titles would be prohibited from joining unions in the future. [Emphasis added.]
This effort really got going when legislative liaisons were allowed to join a union.
* From April of 2013…
[Gov. Pat Quinn] approved a measure that allows the governor to deny collective bargaining rights for up to 3,580 managers and supervisors. […]
The law applies to “managerial or supervisory” positions under the governor and other statewide offices — such as the secretary of state and attorney general — that are not currently represented by a union or those who have gained representation since December 2008.
Supporters of the measure argue that state executives can’t effectively run the government with so few managers loyal only to them. They say that 97 percent of the state work force is backed by a union.
An Associated Press analysis in 2011 showed 10,000 state workers had joined unions from 2003 to 2011 — four times the number of the previous eight years. Including petitions pending at the time, it showed there were only 1,700 managers left among a payroll of 50,000. [Emphasis added.]
* Wednesday…
So, he wasn’t right about how unionization is at “record” levels.
* Hannah Meisel’s report…
[After he signed the bill into law] Quinn’s administration then filed unit clarification petitions with the Illinois Labor Relations Board to reclassify employees as excluded from the ability to collectively bargain. Though the law allowed him to do so for 3,580 employees, Quinn through the board only ended up reclassifying 1,700. […]
The outgoing governor touted his efforts to remove mid-level managers and other state workers from unionization eligibility. This past summer Rauner’s administration filed dozens of bargaining unit clarification petitions with the labor relations board, totaling 2,500 individual positions the administration has gone after since 2016.
The administration claims that its investigation discovered that key positions like inspector general investigators and supervisory security personnel at state prisons and mental health facilities were filled by union officials, even though those positions are specifically barred from collective bargaining under the Illinois Labor Relations Act, and were clarified as being excluded in the 2011 tweak to the law.
But AFSCME claims the Rauner administration is going after employees in jobs that have every right to be unionized, and alleged the governor is seeking to strip more than 1,000 people of their rights to collectively bargain.
* The administration claims that its agencies have identified 5,000 employees who should be stripped of collective bargaining rights, including…
* Supervisors responsible for disciplining employees that refuse to do so adequately.
* OIG Investigators responsible for investigating allegations of fraud, abuse, financial exploitation or other malfeasance by union employees.
* Supervisors that run state prisons at night, and chiefs of security at mental health facilities.
* Administrative law judges and other attorneys who make binding decisions for management that impact important policy matters.
* Other staff that has access to the State’s confidential bargaining strategies.
- Montrose - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:31 pm:
I am so confused as to how he could have said an inaccurate statement. Maybe he needs to spend even more time messaging.
- lakeside - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:32 pm:
And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lay peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:33 pm:
I’m not surprised Rauner is wrong about all things unions.
I’d be more surprised if he got it right.
The distain… I won’t miss that. Bad for the ILGOP.
- Anon - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:34 pm:
A lot of those positions never would have sought union representation if the administration had awarded them any raises.
It’s been the case for a lot of folks that once they step out of the bargaining unit they may not receive raises or cost of living adjustments.
- Honeybear - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:39 pm:
Well this shows me
Employees AND middle management
want to be in the union.
As a steward I grieve for supervisors
quite often.
Management outside the Bargaining Unit
goes after them all the time.
And yes, my supervisor cannot discipline me
He can counsel me
But I get disciplined by Management.
I can be recommended for discipline by my supervisor. But not actually disciplined.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:44 pm:
AFSCME did great against Rauner, given Janus and Rauner’s massive attacks. Trying to take people out of unions is just petty nastiness, because won’t change anything like the “transformative” policy change Rauner wants. Workers are sticking with the union, and Democrats have become powerful perhaps like few if any times before.
- Number 9 - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:45 pm:
Quinn was more active than Meisel’s story suggests. Public Act 97-1172 allowed for the exclusion of 3580 positions. The Quinn administration designated 3259 positions for exclusion. Only 1529 of these were already within collective bargaining units, but petitions to include many of the others were at that time pending before the Board. See footnote 2
in the Board’s 2014 decision at https://www2.illinois.gov/ilrb/decisions/boarddecisions/Documents/S-DE-14-256.pdf
- Perrid - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:47 pm:
The last two of the list of 5 types of employees he thinks shouldn’t be in a union seems reasonable. The others seem iffy at best to me, and I really, really doubt he’s going to restrain himself to those 5 types.
- flea - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:50 pm:
What does he think he is going to accomplish at this time in his administration? For a guy who didn’t want to be seen with Trump he sure seems a lot like him lately.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:57 pm:
AFSCME is living rent-free in Rauner’s head, like Madigan. He’s obsessed and caused much chaos and damage. The newer state workers who worked without revolting as Rauner has been ripping them off on steps since early in his term—no “working the book,” no blue flu type stuff—deserve credit and recognition.
- Johnnie F. - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 1:59 pm:
MC and Union supervisory staff have very little independent authority to issue disciplinary consequences to employees. It all gets taken out of their hands by HR. The state’s biggest problem is quality of new MC hires. Many talented union employees won’t apply for MC positions and newbies come from outside lacking significant institutional knowledge and expertise. Many MC positions have been eliminated in my department forcing many extra managerial duties onto union front line supervisors. The state fails to offer appropriate salaries to MC staff to draw and keep talent. This has gone on for 10+ years.
- anon616xx - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:03 pm:
* OIG Investigators responsible for investigating allegations of fraud, abuse, financial exploitation or other malfeasance by union employees.
Wouldn’t those same investigators be responsible for investigating non-union employees? Is that the rub?
I don’t recall anything in the ethics training saying that management / appointed positions are excluded from ethics violations.
Also, I’ve seen a lot of personal services contracts posted over the past year or so. I wondered if they were counted as state workforce. that could change the percentages quoted.
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:04 pm:
Administrative law judges and staff level attorneys don’t make binding decisions. At the agencies I have dealt with ALJ decisions are subject to review and approval or reversal by agency directors. Staff attorney determinations are subject to review and approval by an agency general counsel.
- Norseman - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:05 pm:
I’d be upset at the distortion except I never believe anything Rauner says.
- Fixer - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:08 pm:
I’d like to see a little more clarification on the first group mentioned. Define adequately, Bruce.
- theq - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:09 pm:
Grandson of man— As one of those employees you spoke of I thank you. It has been difficult and frustrating but I knew it would be temporary. I am currently half way through my 5th year getting paid as if I’m in my second
- Ole' Nelson - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:18 pm:
The title of this article would make a great fill-in-the-blank question of the day. Rauner was wrong about…..
The possibilities would be virtually endless.
- Number 9 - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:23 pm:
Fixer raises an important point. The terms “supervisor” and “manager” are statutorily defined and defined more narrowly than used in common parlance. For example, the Public Labor Relations Act’s definition of “supervisor” is more narrow than that used by the NLRB in that it requires that a supervisor spend the preponderance of his or her employment time engaged in supervisory functions. Given the diffuse tasks performed by governmental employees and the current engagement in multi-tasking required by under staffing, “supervisors” rarely meet the literal requirements of this element.
- LW - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:43 pm:
He wan’t wrong. He was lying.
- Anonymous - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:51 pm:
Grandson of Man is spot-on.
The governor has become Captain Ahab.
- The more things change... - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 2:59 pm:
====Quinn was more active than Meisel’s story suggests====
And if ever you wondered how the Chief of staff for a democratic governor ended up running a chamber of commerce and not picking up a few union contracts to lobby instead.
- oldhp - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 3:07 pm:
“Supervisors that run state prisons at night”…???? So what doesn’t happen at night that happens on the other 2 shifts??? This right here shows that the people in charge don’t have a clue what goes on in prisons.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Dec 14, 18 @ 3:12 pm:
What a way to go out, wrong and whiny.