* Shaw Local…

Teamsters, who have gone without a contract for 7 months and are angered by the course of negotiations, are preparing to vote on whether to vote to authorize a strike, said JP Fyans, president of Teamsters Local 916.

In the meantime, rallies are being organized in the state’s nine Illinois Department of Transportation districts, starting with one organized by union locals 330, 700, 916 and the union umbrella organization, Joint Council 25, that ran from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday in the District 1 office at 201 W. Center Court in Schaumburg. […]

“Mediators have been brought in, and we are following the process,” Fyans said, but “a vote to authorize a vote to strike is in the works.”

Negotiations have gotten contentious, with the state refusing to include pay raises, and insisting that the 4,500 Teamsters in 10 locals employed by IDOT switch back to the state insurance plan, which is more costly and effectively will mean a 25% loss in take-home pay, Fyans said.

* WLPO Radio…

A raw wind blew in Ottawa as members of the Teamsters union walked a picket line outside the District 3 office of the Illinois Department of Transportation.

It was the second picket outside an IDOT building on Wednesday, following a similar demonstration in the suburbs. Teamsters believe they’ve been left out of the significant investment the state is making in infrastructure improvements. […]

Fellow picketer Jon Woodyer says the state’s offer removes “good union insurance” and would cause a take home pay loss of 24 percent on average. He adds that the state’s suggestion of a starting IDOT salary of $32,000 a year is federal poverty level wages.

* WBBM Radio…

Jimmy Provenzano says the work he and other maintenance workers do is dangerous, whether it’s fixing potholes or blocking highway ramps.

“All these protests have been going on,” he said. “Our guys are put out there. In the majority of the time, there is no police backup. We’re on our own in these trucks and have to deal with irate citizens.”

Teamster Robert Cohn said the state’s proposal would move them out of their union health insurance, which include benefits they won in a prior contract in lieu of pay raises worth about $3.40 an hour.

The unions say despite plenty of bargaining sessions since their contracts expired, they are far apart from the state’s offer.

* Teamsters Joint Council 25…

“Our members have sacrificed wages and other benefits in previous negotiations to maintain their Teamster healthcare and we are not going to just walk away from it now without a fight”, said Teamsters Joint Council 25 President Thomas W. Stiede. “These workers keep the Illinois traveling public safe, and it’s unfortunate to see their value being undermined by this administration. We are nearing the breaking-point and may be left with no other choice than to strike this winter.”

* From the governor’s office…

Over the past several months, the State has reached labor agreements with unions representing the vast majority of the State workforce, which were ratified by overwhelming majorities of State employees. Those agreements recognize the important work that State employees perform, and each of them includes fair wage and healthcare provisions that provide good compensation and healthcare benefits to employees while recognizing that the State must balance its budget. Contract negotiations with the Teamsters are ongoing, and the Governor is committed to ensuring a fair agreement for everyone involved, like those that have already been reached with other unions.