* Subscribers were briefed on the tentative deal a few weeks ago. It’s now official…
Governor JB Pritzker’s administration and AFSCME Council 31—the largest union of frontline Illinois state employees—have announced the ratification of a new contract after membership voted overwhelmingly in favor.
The agreement was tentatively reached by negotiators for the state and the union in the early morning hours of July 1. Over the past two weeks, members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 attended local union meetings throughout the state to review and vote on its terms. The four-year agreement is now in effect.
“Illinois is a pro-worker state—and when it comes to workers’ rights, my administration is committed to ensuring that every Illinoisan has access to good-paying opportunities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This contract represents a partnership that won’t just expand our pool of state employees—it will strengthen our state’s workforce and provide opportunity for employees and their families. I’m thankful for a productive negotiation that led to a contract which recognizes the valuable contributions of state employees and makes government more efficient.”
“AFSCME members care deeply about serving their communities. They go above and beyond to meet challenges like the COVID pandemic and staff shortages,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said. “This contract helps to address the toll that inflation has taken on state employee incomes and keeps health care affordable.”
The agreement provides for a 4.0% pay increase retroactive to July 1. In all, base wages will rise 17.95% over four years. Other provisions include expanded parental leave to 12 weeks and new joint efforts to improve workplace safety.
The agreement also includes a number of significant actions to expedite the filling of vacancies and improve strategies to recruit, hire, and retain workers, such as:
• Modernizing how vacancies with State agencies are filled by updating the contract language to reflect the state’s transition to an electronic hiring process.
• A commitment to work together to streamline the State’s hiring process to improve the pace at which vacancies are filled.
• Increasing hiring and retention of current employees by forming a joint labor-management committee that will meet to identify roadblocks to hiring.
• Implementing a pilot program for recruitment bonuses for positions that have high vacancy rates.
• Ensuring that employees on Parental Leave may still bid on vacancies during their leave.
AFSCME represents some 35,000 state employees who work to provide the essential public services our communities need in every part of Illinois, every day. They protect children, care for veterans and people with disabilities, help struggling families, keep prisons safe and much more.
*** UPDATE *** Brenden got the numbers…
- Speaker of the grouse - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 11:59 am:
On another very positive note it sounds like UPS and Teamsters have an agreement. Good stuff for labor. UPS workers work their tails off. They deserve everything they can get.
- Donnie Elgin - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:07 pm:
“Negotiators for the state”
Based on the horror stories at Choate and other Illinois Department of Human Services facilities, I hope the state workout out some concessions on discipline and supervision of AFSCME staff
- Grateful Gail - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:11 pm:
If they can actually fix the hiring system it will make such a difference………..maybe instead of 6 months to hire someone CMS may get it done in weeks. Fingers crossed.
- The Dude Abides - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:22 pm:
I am glad to see this. It’s good to see an administration that appreciates working people. The incompetence of the Rauner administration isn’t exactly ancient history.
- Grandson of Man - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:24 pm:
That’s two contracts in a row negotiated and ratified with few problems. Clearly the problem was not the workers, during the Rauner years.
- unafraid - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:25 pm:
Good contract- seems fair to all concerned. Needed to make up, at least partially for inflation.
Hope private sector employees can do as well.
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:27 pm:
4% a year is reasonable. Nice to see this get done without acrimony.
We have an adult leading the state
- Grandpa12 - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:36 pm:
It would be nice to get CMS out of the mix. We have some positions vacant for over a year. I hope the governor’s office takes the same approach with merit comp employees. We have lost a lot of knowledge due to better salaries elsewhere. CMS doesn’t seem to want to compete.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 12:50 pm:
Any word on what the contract says about remote work?
If the Teamsters 916 mimics the AFSCME contract, it should be a good deal.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 1:04 pm:
===Any word on what the contract says about remote work?===
It may continue at the discretion of the agencies.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 1:13 pm:
Two contracts in a row with no problems?
17.95% over 4 years is not 4%, it is 4.5% a year
How are you so certain there will be no problems paying for this new contract the “adults” agreed to?
- IllinoisCitizen - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 1:17 pm:
Not to begrudge state employees … because good for you all!
But 17% over 4 years. I wish the state would do a better job of supporting higher education and allow the universities to offer something similar. … Last I checked, my last raise was 2% — 2 years ago. … Also, any idea on what they negotiated for health care costs?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 1:24 pm:
LP, do you have any evidence whatsoever that the state can’t pay for it? Anything at all? Or are you just spewing again?
- T.S. - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 1:42 pm:
Good for state employees. Something bothers me with this though. For persons serving our most vulnerable citizens, a request for a 4% raise was put into the state this year. that 4% request was not approved. Staff at State Facilities such as Choate will be getting a 4.5% increase every year for the next 4 years who are respectively providing lateral support services, minus- passing medication, as will as other duties. The increase in pay on both sides is great, however, a little continuity would go a long way.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 1:49 pm:
I am so so thankful for this contract. I can’t tell you how much this contract means for the State Employees working on the front line every day.
Here’s how this is really (capitalized) going to help.
We’ve got to get more employees
This pay raise will make us more competitive.
We must must must get more employees.
At my Family Community Resource Center
It’s like being a firefighter. No longer do workers do the same job or work out of the same queue. We’re now retasked sometimes several times a day.
That’s fine because we’re competent but it’s pointing to getting rolled in the not to distance future.
We can’t maintain the pace forever and at some point if we have a recession and thus a flood of applications…we’re gonna be on the struggle bus.
We must attract workers
- Fivegreenleaves - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 2:03 pm:
“It may continue at the discretion of the agencies.”
Not entirely accurate. Mgt has to show cause to bring a worker into the office, and the workers and supervisors must agree. Mgt. can’t just bring someone in because they feel like it or they don’t like the person.
I suspect as more departments go all electronic, there will be more work done remotely, and less work done in-office.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 2:35 pm:
“17.95% over 4 years is not 4%, it is 4.5% a year” 4% compounded over 4 years (which this is) is 17%.
- Retired And Still A Steward As Well.... - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 2:45 pm:
A good contract. Anyone have a guess how long it will be before the IPI starts yapping about it?/S
- Johnnie F. - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 2:56 pm:
State has to up their wages. They are not competative at starting salaries, in particular. Staff are leaving for higher paying positions frequently. Also the pension benefit is not so hot and I think it is completely funded with worker contributions.
- Jack - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 3:06 pm:
-Johnnie F
I have a friend who makes 87K per yr. Gets 17 vacation days per year now and rolled over 30 vacation days and 50 sick days this year. He got a job offer from a private health care company for 112K per year. He didn’t take it because he pays 400 monthly for BCBS insurance and his new job was much much higher and had 15 days off and you could only roll over 10 per year. State workers have it pretty decent.
- P. - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 3:18 pm:
$87,000 is fine and dandy downstate but with kids in Chicago? Nope.
- Nick Name - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 3:19 pm:
===State workers have it pretty decent.===
Yup. Few private employers will match the health care coverage all state employees get thanks to what AFSCME negotiates for its members.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 3:34 pm:
That actually brings up something I don’t know. Back in the Rauner days he wanted to drop us from our silver level heath care to bronze which was on par with Medicaid. I wonder with the new contract if we’ve gone up to Gold or if we’re still at silver?
This is important to know since state university employees are pegged to our insurance.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 3:41 pm:
Fivegreenleaves, from what I understand is that the remote agreement will be honed by the grievance process. I don’t think it’s as settled as you are conveying. Like laws being honed by the courts, a lot will need to be fleshed out. But now workers have a chance of fighting when a vindictive LOA takes away remote work away from an employee without progressive discipline or documentation. Let the grievance procedure guide us.
- DHS Bob - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 4:01 pm:
It is true that state healthcare is good. State Retirement is no longer a competitive draw for employees after removing Tier 1.
Benefits and time off is nice after you have spent a great number of years with the state. But it is horrible for attracting new talent in hiring. You don’t even earn a full vacation day a month for the first 5 years and benefits are not negotiable like they are in the private sector.
- DHS Drone - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 4:02 pm:
Yup, WFH will have to get sorted out through the grievance process. Employees can be brought back to the office for operational needs and poor performance. Now operational needs have long been applied to vacations, flex time, and other aspects of employment so that should get figured out. But poor performance is new. Already emails going around that some management are using poor performance of some employees to bring everyone in an office back August 1st. This will simply be a period of change and flux for the state workforce.
- thoughts matter - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 9:47 pm:
=Gets 17 vacation days per year now and rolled over 30 vacation days and 50 sick days this year.=
He also gets no short term disability. One surgery or serious illness with 8 weeks off uses up 40 of those sick days. A female can use it all up in one maternity leave. You get 12 sick days a year. If your kids get sick very often, etc, etc.
- Jack - Tuesday, Jul 25, 23 @ 10:54 pm:
Thoughts matter,
Show me a job in which you get more days? Especially if you roll over days. 47 vacation days, 30 rolled over and -7 earned. 62 sick days 50 rolled over and 12 earned. 3 personal days and 14 state holidays. That is literally 1/2 a year- 125 working days.
And for record the state gives paternity leave- it was 10 weeks and I think it is now 12.
- DHS Drone - Wednesday, Jul 26, 23 @ 7:27 am:
At some point it will be on the CMS site. Eventually they will print em out. If you went to a meeting you got a print out of all the language changes.