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* UPDATED x1 * Unions try to keep up with Rauner’s local push

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* From the Illinois AFL-CIO’s Facebook page since yesterday…

Discuss.

*** UPDATE *** From the governor’s office…

Hi, Rich –

Round Lake Beach and the Village of Winnebago also passed the resolution.

Attached is Round Lake Beach. I’ll send you Winnebago when it comes through.

Thanks,
ck

Round Lake Beach: Pop. 28,175
Village of Winnebago: Pop. 3,101

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 10:12 am

Comments

Elections. Have. Consequences.

Unions had two chances to stop Rauner, now the Unions will be chasing, and chasing…and chasing.

No sympathy. None.

The work for the Unions is just beginning. Good luck with all this.

Better get a better PR message, better Legislative messaging in the open, and open for discussion, and better “gear up”, like yesterday…better get in front of this before you get rolled by this.

“Likes”, “Retweets”, “Favorites” ain’t gettin’ anythin’ done.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 10:18 am
Maybe the unions should try the same trick - convince sympathetic city councils to pass anti-RTW resolutions. See if they can rack up a higher count (I bet they can). It would have been better if they’d thought of it first, but even now, it would get some effective publicity.

Comment by Commander Norton Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 10:24 am
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” - Abraham Lincoln
“That’s the idea.” - Bruce Rauner

Comment by Demise Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 10:27 am
When these Aldermen, Trustees, Councilmen, Mayors, Village Presidents, and Managers look out into their audiences; it would seem more effective if they were looking into the faces of people they know in town. Outside influences and crowds usually have the opposite effect than what they’re intending.

That being said, the unions really need a strong message the resonates and penetrates and people can sincerely recite. Sending the equivalent of civil flash mobs won’t get it done.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 10:34 am
Clinton, IL

http://www.clintonillinois.com/home/government/city-council-agendas/ Last agenda was posted online in July of 2014. You would have had to go to the City Hall to view the paper copies, I guess.

http://www.clintonillinois.com/home/government/city-council-minutes/ Same thing with the minutes.

Heyworth- http://www.heyworth-il.gov/ Click on Meeting Agenda- I didn’t get a response.

Transparency is lacking, and with today’s tech, it really shouldn’t be.

It would be interesting to see if the 48 hour posting was done, and what they results are for all (there aren’t that many yet) the other communities that effectively signed their citizens onto to be “Turned-Around”.

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 10:48 am
“Outside influences and crowds usually have the opposite effect than what they’re intending.”

Ignore the “outside influences” and bow-down to the multi-millionaire from Winnetka.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 11:07 am
Yep. Rauner’s strategy is to make the unions defend the whole field and spread them so thin they won’t be able to effectively counter him in Springfield. I think this is part of the AFSCME contract negotiation strategy, which is Rauner’s ultimate end game. I think the RTW stuff is a smokescreen, but it’s potentially threatening enough for the unions to take seriously.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 11:08 am
Can lots of people with very little money out-maneuver one person with a lot of money.

The answer to this question will shape Illinois for the next few years.

Comment by Rufus Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 11:10 am
Perhaps workers in general need to take the offensive against the plutocrats. I would like to see a bill that recoups at least some of the state’s expenses in providing for adult workers whose large corporate employers don’t pay a living wage. This kind of corporate welfare needs to end.

Comment by Neveranonymous Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 11:50 am
47th that’s exactly what Ive been saying! Bleed the Unions dry of resources, time, and money. It might work, but Rauner is already set to change the locks on July 1. I feel a lockout is inevitable. He might just eliminate an entire agency, Say CMS, to help get his 20% cut pushed through. Its going to be one heck of a fight. The RTW stuff is definitely a front for the real battle to take place.

Comment by BlameBruceRauner Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 11:53 am
=No sympathy==

I doubt they want your sympathy. They will do the however.

Comment by Hedley Lamarr Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 11:55 am
Unions are still playing catch-up. Rather than repeat myself, see previous postings on the subject.

Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 12:06 pm
Blamebrucerauner

I asked my local President (who is on the AFSCME contract negotiations team) about the possibility of a lockout. He put the chances at 1%. I asked why and he said that “East St. Louis, South side of Chicago, and several other places would go “Ferguson” instantly”. Without the services that folks depend on, it’s just going to take a spark to ignite it. Working here, I believe it.

Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 12:21 pm
===Ignore the “outside influences” and bow-down to the multi-millionaire from Winnetka.

– MrJM===

Oh, sorry. Must have missed that the Governor was in the gallery at one of these meetings. Please cite which one.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 12:58 pm
===Must have missed that the Governor was in the gallery at one of these meetings.===

Dude, “these meetings” the Governor wasn’t at were all about various municipal governments passing a resolution the GOVERNOR asked them to pass. Rauner wasn’t watching from the gallery, he was dictating the agenda.

And you wonder why people go after you here. It’s not because you’re a Rauner apologist, it’s because you’re a bad Rauner apologist.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 1:08 pm
47, I don’t spend a moment “wondering”. I don’t spend a moment terribly “concerned” either. We’re of different opinions frequently. I made the point that in muni “regularly scheduled” board meetings where multiple issues are dealt with every 2 weeks or so, the unions are packing the house with folks from other communities. I don’t think those folks have a tremendous impact on sitting boards who have never seen them before, and just might resent them coming in to try and bully a policy. In NE Illinois, most towns have plenty of union members living in those communities. If they (familiar faces) showed up and spoke, it would mean more. They actually vote in those towns.

I’ve seen resolutions in support of the Feds, the Governor, the General Assembly, the County Chairman, you name it. Even NFPs. It’s on the agenda. They consider it, they pass it, they don’t, they table it, whatever. The Governor (or his staffers) aren’t there trying to stare a hole through the board members. These folks appear to be doing just that. I don’t think it’s effective.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 1:49 pm
“coming in to try and bully a policy.” And Rauner is doing…what…?

Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 2:09 pm
Town Official 1: What if we don’t pass it?
Town Official 2: He’ll hold it against us.
Town Official 3: You mean like, he’ll withhold money from our town?
Town Official 2: That’s what I think.
Town Official 4: Cause it’s Bruce Rauner. Do you want to cross him?
Town Official 5: I make a motion we pass the resolution…

Comment by Open Book Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 2:12 pm
“And Rauner is doing…what…?”

Well, he’s not physically present at the meetings, so because Reasons, he’s not an outside influence.

But since union members ARE physically present, they’re borderline coercive.

Remember, the most important thing here is to limit the participation in the democratic process as much as possible.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 2:43 pm
” the unions are packing the house with folks from other communities”

Are we sure this is true? Because, clearly, Rauner has lost some of these votes. So either the unions AREN’T universally bringing in out-of-towners, or that tactic DOES work (And I mean, if “out of towners” couldn’t influence local government, then yeah, they wouldn’t be bringing up Rauner’s proposal at all…)

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 2:46 pm
While these are nice talking points for the Governor to have these resolutions don’t mean squat. The GA is the one that has to pass these “reforms” and all of the “reforms” the Gov wants ain’t gonna happen. Period.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 2:53 pm
I’d actually take it a step further. Sure a muni can pass the resolution, but if the mayors, trustees, councilmen or aldermen don’t pressure their rep or sen to take action on the state level, who cares?

I’ve worked with local governments for a while now and they are extremely effective IF they choose to be. There is another step in this process.

Comment by dawn Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:18 pm
Remember right to work zones affects general nonunion contractors because they are no longer guaranteed prevailing wages! Trickle Down Tragedy!

Comment by Mitch59 Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:19 pm
Honey Bear
Thanks for the info. That’s probably the case, but GOV CEO and his crack team of advisors seem like deer in the headlights, so I wouldn’t put it out of the question.

Comment by BlameBruceRauner Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:25 pm
=== Arsenal - Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 2:46 pm:

” the unions are packing the house with folks from other communities”

Are we sure this is true?===

Um, did you read the top story on the AFL-CIO FB page at the top of this thread? Are they or are they not posting locations all over the state with meeting places? All so the locals will stop in? OK. That’s what it is. Just look for action in your own town, ignore the rest….sure.

Hey, they’re perfectly free to do this. I don’t think it’s too effective and could likely be counterproductive. But hey, that’s just me.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:30 pm
====but GOV CEO and his crack team of advisors seem like deer in the headlights====

No fooling? Not sure that’s what they seem like.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:34 pm
“Um, did you read the top story on the AFL-CIO FB page at the top of this thread?”

I did! Did you? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t show that “the unions are packing the house with folks from other communities”.

” I don’t think it’s too effective and could likely be counterproductive.”

But they’re obviously having some effect, they’ve won some of these votes. So either it *isn’t* counterproductive (And hey, Rauner’s clearly being effective, too, so “outside influence” clearly *can* work), or they’re not just busing in outsiders, when the evidence that they are is just that you say, evidence in absentia, that they’re not.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:41 pm
Guy, the AFL-CIO has members in every single county in Illinois. What makes you think the members attending aren’t local?

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:43 pm
“I did! Did you? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t show that “the unions are packing the house with folks from other communities”.”

In fact, an FB post on a Monday talking about meetings scheduled for THAT NIGHT rather augers AGAINST a successful effort to get anybody but locals there, especially given that very few people care about THEIR OWN local government, let alone someone else’s.

Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:48 pm
Rich, why not keep a counter in the sidebar, “Sum of Population of Towns Supporting the ‘Turnaround’”?

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 4:37 pm
===47th Ward - Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 3:43 pm:

Guy, the AFL-CIO has members in every single county in Illinois. What makes you think the members attending aren’t local?===

Dude, read the FB posts up top. If you’re local, do you really need to be told what county your city is in and where it is in that county? Read the bottom one, “over 600 union workers….”

As I’ve said previously. It’s certainly their right to do this. It’s very possible those locals don’t respond well to a room full of ringers from elsewhere. When they “table” it, my guess is that they’re postponing anything until the traveling show goes away. I don’t think a “table” is a victory as much as a probable loss later on.

As Demo stated above, these resolutions don’t really amount to a hill of beans either way. It’s unsophisticated straw polling at best. I’m glad the Gov is traveling the state and talking to folks about his plan. This used to happen more frequently years ago. He does need folks to turn up the heat on their local reps. It will work or it won’t. Let’s wait and see.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 4:50 pm
===It’s very possible those locals don’t respond well to a room full of ringers from elsewhere. When they “table” it, my guess is that they’re postponing anything until the traveling show goes away. I don’t think a “table” is a victory as much as a probable loss later on.===

The FB posts notwithstanding, you are still assuming all of these folks are not local. And you know what happens when you assume, right? I think I’ve shown it’s not me you’ve made an ass of, it’s only u.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 5:01 pm
Do these towns realize that nothing in this resolution has any real meaning? They can’t forbid unions in their jurisdictions, for example. There are lot of knee-jerk right-wing types on village boards but you would hope they understand that this is all for show.

Comment by DuPage Dave Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 6:16 pm
“Must have missed that the Governor was in the gallery at one of these meetings. Please cite which one.”

As is so often demonstrated on in the comments, one need not be in Rauner’s physical presence to act as his lickspittle.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 6:20 pm
The RTWFL resolution was on the agenda in Crete yesterday. The town hall was packed to the point that people had to wait outside the building. The resolution was tabled.

Comment by Guzzlepot Tuesday, Apr 14, 15 @ 6:22 pm