27 Comments - Oswego Willy - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 3:55 pm: ===Rauner wasn’t asked, however, whether social service providers should be paid without an appropriation even though they have signed state contracts in hand.=== Picking and choosing hostages, and the heat taken for the choice of those hostages. “Both sides, the GA and the Governor…”… The Governor goes out, wading in dangerous waters to pay state employees while Social Services drown with signed contracts in hand. “Both sides” are responsible? Easy choice for Rauner in this choice? - Nick Name - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 3:56 pm: Dangerous waters indeed. “Rauner wasn’t asked, however, whether social service providers should be paid without an appropriation even though they have signed state contracts in hand.” Whatever happened to this case? http://capitolfax.com/2016/12/21/social-service-providers-want-court-to-treat-their-contracts-like-afscmes/ - The Captain - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:09 pm: By the way, if you watch the Tribune interview video, Gov. Rauner shook his head “yes” when asked if state employees should be paid without an appropriation and without a court order to do so. The state has just barely managed to survive its daily operations for two years without a state budget and for much of that time without operating spending authority. Many have wondered, how? Maybe this head nod hints at the explanation. - don the legend - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:20 pm: Rauner might finally be showing where his tolerance level sets. Not paying state employees might just be it. - Truthteller - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:32 pm: Very instructive for state employees. Rauner doesn’t want a shutdown and is willing to go out on a limb to avoid one. A strike would cause a shutdown. A big “yes” vote authorizing a strike may well bring him back to the table. Keep the pressure on. Vote “yes” and get your co-workers to vote with you - Cubs in '16 - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:42 pm: “It is only right that state employees are paid for the work they do…” But not the state vendors? - Whatever - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:47 pm: ==A big “yes” vote authorizing a strike may well bring him back to the table.== Not if his goal all along was to get a shutdown he could blame on AFSCME, so he could break the union. If that’s the case, a court ruling that shuts down the state would ruin his day while a strike vote would make it all better. - Johnnie F. - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:48 pm: Rauner wants AFSCME to shut down the state. Period. - Honeybear - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:51 pm: Truthteller The gov wants a strike because of blame and destroying AFSCME. The governor doesn’t want to lose more superstars or management. It’s impossible to replace them and the will leave in droves. Also Rauner takes the blame. - Honeybear - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 4:53 pm: Sorry Rauner doesn’t want the shut down He’d love a strike - Flynn's mom - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:09 pm: @Honeybear….you got it! - AC - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:13 pm: Please, legislators, don’t listen to Rauner and take away the only thing that might bring an end to the painful impasse. It’s destroying the state, and the neediest are hit the hardest. I don’t understand my fellow union members either, if the timing works out, this could be the only thing that saves us. Why would anyone in AFSCME want to make it easier to pay “replacement workers” and others who cross the picket line? Wouldn’t you want a shorter and more effective strike? Don’t you also have empathy for other victims of the impasse? - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:13 pm: But he doesn’t think that employees deserve the back pay they earned that can’t be paid with no appropriation? - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:20 pm: For too long, only the universities and people reliant on social services have borne the cost of no budget. The AG’s motion is a way to make the impact real for all residents of the state. The Gov. can’t continue refusing to pass a budget without paying a political price if the AG’s motion blocks state worker pay. And, yes, it will save AFSCME from a strike that Rauner has tried to provoke. - Cleric dcn - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:35 pm: @AC… You have this correct. Rauner wants to be the good guy all the way around. I do not want any state employee to miss a pay check. He also wants the state employees to simply bow at his every command and never oppose his actions. Let them all be his ” yes ” people just following the prince. I am glad I see through the gimmick I just hope others do - Jeep - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:49 pm: But if state workers dont vote to strike the union will be finished anyway. It wont take Rauner long to whittle away all bargaining rights. I’m hoping Truthteller is on to something. - Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:54 pm: The more spending we get on auto-pilot the easier this governin’ job gets. Any questions? Anyone? No? Thank you. - Truthteller - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 5:55 pm: Help me understand. Rauner doesn’t want state employees to accept his terms: a four year freeze on wage increases and steps; an average $10k in erase in health care cost shifts; the unbridled right to contract out their jobs; and the clear signal he can come back for more when the contract expires. He doesn’t want those things free of charge. He wants the disruption of a strike to try to get what he might otherwise get for free? He’s crazy, but not that crazy - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 6:03 pm: That will leave 7 work days but only 4 House and 2 Senate scheduled session days for the GA to figure out an appropriation and get it to the Governor’s desk. - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 6:11 pm: == He wants the disruption of a strike to try to get what he might otherwise get for free? He’s crazy, but not that crazy == He apparently wants a strike in order to completely break the union. I think, in his mind, he believes he can fire all the people who go on strike and, once the union is broken, not have to hire them back. That makes a crazy kind of sense, because if he COULD do it, he replaces high paid workers with either cheaper ones or outsourcing. In either case, he has also eliminated a large number of the remaining Tier 1 State employees, so he has pretty much negated any future growth in liability for the SERS pension fund. (I’m ignoring the underfunding and Edgar ramp effects on future pension liability growth.) So. I think, in his mind he would see that as a win-win of both salary reduction and pension savings. - Anonymous - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 6:36 pm: RNUG How long until he tries to pull a Reagan? How long until we get our jobs back? Thanks RNUG I am always happy when you weigh in - state-tech - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 6:44 pm: i agree with most of the posts here…”shut it down” i hope the AG wins - our agency “DOIT” has been using band-aids (borrowing $$$ from other agencies) to keep things running, Rauner wants chaos on his terms, let it all crumble & it all falls on him (as OW says, governors own) & consolidating IT 100% makes IT easier to outsource, stand up & fight, that is NOT want 1.4% wants…sorry for the long rant…big thanks to RM,RNUG, WS, & OW & others who see the big picture - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 8:21 pm: == How long until he tries to pull a Reagan? == No idea. When is the union going on strike? - Generic Drone - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 8:30 pm: Anything Rauner supports, AFSCME should oppose. I hope the courts upholds AG Madigans move. If Rauners’ puppets bill gets approved, then he regains leverage. He has every intention of calling any strike illegal weather it is or not. He will then fire the strikers and make them go to court to get their jobs back. And if successful, wait for never for any back pay. Get ready members this is gonna hurt any way you look at iit. - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 8:49 pm: Just to be clear, the AFSCME union members are in a no-win situation, and lot of that is out of their control. Don’t go on strike and have a bad contract with no job protection implemented, so they would still have jobs that could be outsourced at any time. Or go on strike with three possible outcomes: (a) win and get Rauner back to the bargaining table to include no outsourcing but you’ve still lost wages and given up future raises in the union’s last offer, (b) lose and have to go back to work under the imposed contract terms for however long you are not outsourced, or (c) lose and lose your job, which is just b but happens immediately. Put bluntly, Rauner has the union backed into a corner where the only choice (barring outside intervention from the courts or legislature) is to fight with a strike. Hopefully, labor understands that if AFSCME loses here, it will be one of the final death blows to the slow decline of national labor unions. It really IS that big when you put it in perspective. - blue dog dem - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 9:29 pm: RNUG. Couldn’t agree with your analysis anymore. On top of it all, the SCOTUS will more than likely rehear Frierichs vs California this summer. I would not want to bet that unions get a favorable decision. As a pro union guy, this one scares me. It seems nearly impossible for Illinois to stand it alone on the midwestern union front. Time will tell. I do have some hope and that is I really believe the U.S. may have some reasonably good times ahead and this will place a demand on skilled labor. Obviously a plus for the trades. I have no words of advice for state workers. We in the steel industry have seen our share of hard times. The older I get, the more I understand each individual must make their own decisions on whether to cross a picket line. It is united we stand, but that’s easy to say from a distance. But I do know one thing….I’ve gone a year without an Oreo. - RNUG - Thursday, Feb 2, 17 @ 10:30 pm: - blue dog dem - Although I was never a union member or in a union title at the state (and as management I’m more than aware of ASFCME’s flaws), I’ve become more conscious about trying to support both unions and American companies / workers. I also haven’t bought an Oreo for a year or more. I made sure last year to buy a mostly American CUV built in a union plant. Several years ago I went out of my way to find US made tires for that SUV. My shoes have always been made here; the newest ones from a union shop. The new washer and dryer a couple of years ago were from a US company. You can’t do this with everything but you can, at least, try with the bigger stuff. If everyone did this, we might be amazed at the amount of manufacturing that expands here or moves back here. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.