* Background is here and here if you need it. From Gov. JB Pritzker’s press conference today…
Isabel: Why haven’t you been more public about ISU hiring strike breakers?
Pritzker: Oh gosh. Well, let me start with the fact that I really believe that they need to, all of them need to get back to the bargaining table. It seems like there is a deal to be made. We want to make sure that that happens in an expedited fashion. I do not like the idea that we have people who are not working and believe me, I stand as you know, I’ve spent the last seven and a half years increasing the amount of funding that our universities get, making sure that we have more money for MAP grants, for aim high grants, making sure that we’re lifting up our university systems across the state and so that makes it easier for them, of course, to pay people a decent wage, to be able to come to an agreement. So those are all things that I believe in. I think I’ve been very clear about that.
Notice he didn’t answer the question.
* But then the governor quickly moved on to his Republican opponent before Isabel asked him a second time about the strike breakers…
Pritzker: I will add that Darren Bailey, who likes to say that somehow he’s standing with the workers, has never stood with workers in the state. He voted against the raising the minimum wage in our state. He voted against the workers rights amendment. He voted against every provision that we put forward that’s good for workers in the state of Illinois, and now he shows up one time in something he clearly does not believe and advocates for the workers there. And I can tell you, I stand with workers every single day and always have.
Isabel: Specifically on the strike breakers, though, have you reached out to the administration?
Pritzker: I have said that they need to get back to the bargaining table. That is the work that needs to get done. A decent wage needs to be paid. They’ve got to bargain for that and make sure that it happens again. I’ve advocated that all across the state. I believe it’s why I advocated for the workers rights amendment. Once again, Republicans all voted against. It was very important to me to make sure that we have a fair bargain at the table, and you have to give some power to workers to have that bargaining capability with the companies or the organizations that they work for.
Again, he didn’t answer the question.
* So, later on, Isabel asked him a third time…
Isabel: I appreciate you answering my questions earlier, but can I get you specifically on strike breakers and ISU? ISU hiring strike breakers?
Pritzker: Yeah, I don’t believe in strike breakers. I know that that’s being litigated right now. This question, you know, they, there’s, this should not occur. There should be that the folks who want to bargain with the enterprise, with ISU and ISU’s management, leadership should be at the bargaining table. That’s what should happen. It needs to happen ASAP. We shouldn’t have people taking other people’s jobs.
Discuss.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:31 pm:
Like pulling teeth.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:43 pm:
Appreciate Isabel’s tenacity.
Don’t appreciate Pritzker weaseling on this.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:45 pm:
I really don’t think he ever answered Isabel’s question
She asked specifically about ISU hiring strikebreakers his answer finally was “I don’t like strikebreakers “ that was so generic it was a non answer. Love her tenacity though
- Jr. Neef - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:53 pm:
This is interpreted 3 ways. #1 he doesn’t care about the workers who have been without a contract for 2 years. #2 He hasn’t spent even five minutes to see that the University has said “you have the best offered your getting from us” or #3 His staff doesn’t care so they haven’t told him that in the only increasingly democratic county in all of downstate Illinois there is a State University that has had workers on strike for going on 3 weeks. I guess maybe if it was in Iowa or New Hampshire he might care.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:54 pm:
Excellent work Isabel!
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:58 pm:
If only all reporters had Isabel’s calm professionalism and tenacity. We might not be in as much of a national mess as we are now.
I was ok with the 3rd answer on strike breakers, the other two were weak.
- That Guy - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:59 pm:
At the very least, he gave an answer. Many won’t even go that far.
It’d be lovely to have gotten that on the first try, and even better if he’d applied his answer to ISU, rather than it being a generic answer towards strikebreakers.
- Juvenal - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 2:59 pm:
I appreciate Rich admonishing Pritzker early on that if you wanna run for President, its a free country, but if you start slacking off on the job you already have, I am gonna whack you for it.
There is for example, no reason that Christian Mitchell cannot publicly take Mendoza to task for her incorrect statements about the SAFE-T Act. It was his bill, was it not?
So why isnt Team Pritzker defending the law? Why is that job being left up to nonprofit groups?
- just because - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 3:08 pm:
Finally gave a “sort of” answer.. thank you Isabel. But has he picked up the phone and actually told the ISU officials- do not hire scabs and get to the bargaining table?
- Blue Dog - Tuesday, Apr 28, 26 @ 3:20 pm:
I love jack London definition of a strike breaker.