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Union denies Rauner administration claim that it violated labor law
Friday, Apr 22, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Illinois Nurses Association informed CMS this morning that their tentative union contract agreement had been “overwhelmingly rejected” by its membership. “613 nurses voted to reject the tentative agreement,” INA Executive Director Alice Johnson told me. Another 275 voted to accept. “It wasn’t a squeaker, let’s put it that way,” she said. But the governor’s office thinks the union illegally put its thumb on the scale. From a Rauner spokesperson…
Whew. * Johnson claimed that the INA is a “democratic union,” and pointed out that the vote was “not even remotely close” and came after a period when “all members had a chance to see the tentative agreement.” “We met our legal obligation,” Johnson insisted. I also asked her about a claim by one administration official that the union had attempted to go around the contract by getting the General Assembly to pass a bill. “I don’t even know what that means.” “We worked very, very hard in the negotiation process,” Johnson said. “There was a vote and this was the result.” “I really wish they would’ve contacted us instead of talking to the media,” she added. * This is significant since the INA tentative agreement is similar to the offer that Rauner has made to AFSCME.
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- Formerpol - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:26 pm:
Help me out here. How many nurses does the state employ?
- Demoralized - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:29 pm:
The members rejected the agreement. Go back to the bargaining table and work on it some more.
- Daniel Plainview - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:38 pm:
- “I really wish they would’ve contacted us instead of talking to the media,” she added. -
Sorry, this administration doesn’t employ adults.
- Norseman - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:38 pm:
I missed the coverage on this one. Obviously the Rauner folks wanted to use this agreement as a hammer against AFSCME.
That INA submitted for a vote is interesting. That the rank and file voted against it is no surprise.
- Person 8 - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:42 pm:
Hasn’t Ruaner been saying all along to AFSCME, put it to the members and let them decide? I think he has even thrown in the “it will pass” line.
Well, now AFSCME knows Rauners play. If they vote on it and it gets shot down he’ll just file a unfair labor practice suit against them.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:44 pm:
Labor…
Don’t forget.
Rauner isn’t looking to help you, he’s looking to destroy you.
Remember THAT in November too… Long memories, Labor… Long memories.
- Gruntled University Employee - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:50 pm:
This goes along with this administration’s contention that anyone that disagrees with them is “corrupt”.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
===anyone that disagrees with them is “corrupt”. ===
Yeah, but at least they didn’t blame Madigan… yet.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:52 pm:
Did the bargaining committee take it to their general membership with a recommendation to accept or reject the offer? As part of this, did the bargaining committee promise to the governor’s office that they had agreed to recommend acceptance when they took the proposals back to their membership?
Something is missing here. Both sides need to fill in these blanks.
- Groundhog Day - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:54 pm:
Many hundreds of nurses in state Veteran homes, state mental health hospitals, groups homes, public health, etc
- Anon - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:00 pm:
Let’s see Rauner bring in the retirees and National Guard for this.
- Beaner - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:02 pm:
Fake Governor Rauner: “Expletive that Madigan,…and the Nurses he controls!”
- Union member - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:04 pm:
Rauner and his administration are finding out the hard way. In a Labor union — the “Union Bosses” are the rank and file members.
- Anonymous - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:18 pm:
As someone who worked for yrs with INA and AFSCME members I applaud their rejection. In the past INA waited for AFSCME to negotiate a deal and they would “me too” the exact deal afterward, picking up some scraps specific to nurses. When solidarity with AFSCME was needed most INA leadership proceeded on their own, giving rauner a victory. The membership saw it otherwise.
- steward - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:21 pm:
I see the 17 other unions are brought up again. It’s really just teamsters and trades. Neither of which were offered what Afscme was. Now a union flat out rejects a similar offer.
Welcome to workplace democracy Governor.
- Allen D - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:23 pm:
that total number voting seems a little low… was this thrown out there last minute with little notice for the nurses to take the time to vote, many are on longer than 8 hour shifts. A family member works at one of the hospitals and is a state RN… I will have to ask her.
- Hullaballo - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:23 pm:
“Unprecedented” “17 other unions” -
Sheesh, different contract, same song. The workers don’t want your proposal Bruce. I know you and your “stellar” press team hate to admit it, but a union isn’t a boardroom and the real bosses are the rank and file.
These are largely nurses who work in Illinois prisons, no? I’d love to see even one of Rauner’s doughy staffers work under those conditions.
- steward - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:36 pm:
Heard he tried to negotiate a side letter with them in order to offer them compensation outside of work hours. Not time and a half but at least straight time. Because the rank and file blew up over losing OT.
Even threatened them that they would have to ratify before April ended or side letter would be off the table and he’d look at subcontracting their services out. He was desperate to get a deal before he vetoed 580. (Which is why he has so far sat on it.)
- cdog - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:37 pm:
“That is a clear violation of labor law in Illinois.”
Anyone know the citation?
It should say something about bargaining committee support of tentative agreements, recommend passage of tentative agreements, good faith definition….
Could be just “street myth” and a bluff.
- cdog - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:40 pm:
“side letter with them in order to offer them compensation outside of work hours. Not time and a half but at least straight time”
Now that sounds like a labor law problem.
- steward - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:53 pm:
“Now that sounds like a labor law problem.”
I ‘think’ it had to do with going from 37.5 to 40 with keeping compensation the same. Then later trying to offer straight time between 37.5 and 40 to keep the deal from blowing up.
- cdog - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:56 pm:
I actually agree with straight time up to 40.
- steward - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
“I actually agree with straight time up to 40.”
613 nurses seem to disagree with you.
- Threepwood - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 4:00 pm:
So…Rauner’s been insisting AFSCME should just throw his proposal to the members for a vote. Isn’t it implicit in that argument that this would be done without the committee’s recommendation? So either Rauner’s advocating a move he claims is illegal, or he claims to believe “just put it to a vote” means “recommend your membership approve it”.
Yeah. Credibility’s really climbing over there.
- G'Kar - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 4:00 pm:
I think Louis @ 2:52 hit the ball on the nose. Did the Bargaining Team recommend that the membership accept the contract, did they recommend that they reject the contract, or were they just neutral?
- Truthteller - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 4:15 pm:
Nice to see that the nurses have the backbone to stand up to the Governor. Interesting that an overwhelmingly female workforce has more gumption than the “tough guy” Teamsters who rolled over.
- steward - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 4:16 pm:
“Help me out here. How many nurses does the state employ?”
Go to ITAP and do a position title search. Put in “nurse” and set it to “contains.” That should throw up most of the titles. Some won’t be in there like PSA-8N’s but it should give you a good idea. Go into the title and it shows you which agency has them. Go into that and you’ll see everyone who currently holds that title in that agency. In there it gives a number.
- Henry Francis - Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 4:19 pm:
It is something that the administration that hasn’t had a state budget for 10 months and is starving our universities and social services agencies is calling others and their actions “unprecedented”.
- Anon - Monday, May 9, 16 @ 9:27 pm:
These nurses have the toughest jobs in nursing in prisons and state mental hospitals without anyone standing in line for their jobs. They deserve every dollar they receive. The Gov should do his homework and open his eyes.