* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
Governor Bruce Rauner said Tuesday he does not control whether AFSCME strikes. But, Rauner said, he will be the first governor to stand up to the union.
“That makes them a little cranky and it’s one of the reasons they wanted me out of the negotiations. That’s my duty, representing the taxpayers. If every elected official said to them ‘if you’re going to say you’re going to strike and I can’t stand that so I’m going to give you whatever you ask for,’ then there is no balance of power. That’s what is going on in Illinois and the city of Chicago for decades.”
Rauner also says he has no intention to shut down government or to lock workers out.
The union has said the governor is trying to force a strike, something Rauner says is nonsense.
“I don’t control whether AFSCME strikes or not. I don’t control that. They decide. That’s their right. I hope they don’t. I have asked them not to strike. I said it would be terrible for the people of Illinois. What I have said is…if you do choose to strike, we’ll stand up to you and we’ll win”.
The governor says that somebody has to stand up to the union or else there will be continued economic decline. Rauner’s administration announced they asked for the Illinois Labor Relations Board to review negotiations to declare if there’s an impasse. AFSCME says they’re still willing to negotiate but the governor has said they don’t think continuing negotiations would be worthwhile.
* The governor also said yesterday he was “misquoted” about being willing to shut down the government.
“I may have to take a strike and shut down the government for a few weeks,” he said, with Dan Proft looking on. Rauner said he might not be happy about it, but “I will do it probablyproudly because it’s the right thing to do.”
