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* UPDATED x1 * Follow the Rauner brick road

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* Forget about the stalled budget deal for a second and consider what Kurt Erickson wrote about a possible strike or lockout…

State government is already messed up. A strike or lockout of the 38,000 AFSCME workers would mean major upheaval at facilities that treat the mentally ill and developmentally disabled.

It could mean public health workers wouldn’t be around to fight infectious disease breakouts. Imagine what it would be like for a temporary employee to get hired to run the dispatching operation for the state police. Who will help people sign up for food stamps and unemployment?

Could temp workers suddenly be tasked with overseeing orphans and juvenile offenders?

So far, the governor’s rhetoric has been just that. But, come July 1, it could turn into a reality Illinoisans have not witnessed before.

* And speaking of that topic…

A union-backed bill to prevent strikes or lockouts of state employees during their current contract talks is on its way to Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The Senate voted 38-17 to approve the measure, which allows a new contract for state workers under the governor to be determined by an independent arbitrator if either side in the talks thinks negotiations have reached an impasse.

Even supporters of the bill said they expect the Republican governor will veto it. The administration did not directly answer a question about whether the governor will veto the bill.

He’s gonna veto it, for sure.

But check out the House roll call. Two Democrats, Jack Franks and Andre Thapedi, took a walk and didn’t vote.

If those two stay off the legislation on an override, it’s going to be really difficult to pass it. If one of them is forced back on, perhaps Springfield Republican Raymond Poe can be convinced to climb on board because he was the only Republican with the guts to buck Rauner on that “right to work” bill. Poe took a walk on AFSCME’s strike bill.

Several other House Republicans walked as well: Anthony, Bourne, Brown, Bryant, Cabello, Cavaletto, Davidsmeier, Hammond, Hays, McAuliffe, Bill Mitchell, Pritchard, Reis, Stewart and Unes. But Rauner is gonna make this override a point of honor.

Rauner’s brick is gonna be the heaviest thing on the planet.

* Today’s headline was the product of a sort of group think project at dinner last night with a bunch of pals. One of those pals even designed a quickie logo…

Heh.

We were also wondering if y’all could match Statehouse names to that movie’s characters. Have at it.

* By the way, Senate President John Cullerton filed a motion to reconsider the vote after yesterday’s roll call, so he’s going to hold onto that one for a while.

*** UPDATE *** A quickly done variation of a commenter suggestion…

posted by Rich Miller
Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:05 am

Comments

It’s expected that Rauner will veto the union strike/lockout bill. That’s baked into the calculation. The point of the bill is to show Illinois residents and state services recipients that AFSCME and other unions are trying to mitigate what will happen if Rauner’s unusually harsh contract demands are not softened.

I hope something good happens with the budget, very soon. I really don’t like the statewide property tax freeze, and that the party of smaller government would with a straight face support big state government having power over all local governments.

It would be like Texas, where the state has the power to override local governments’ fracking bands, and Florida, where the state can override local governments’ sick leave ordinances.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/local-ban-nullified-texas-fracking-resumes-denton-31247223

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/18/paid-sick-leave-laws-voided-republicans_n_3460020.html

Comment by Grandson of Man Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:26 am
“Cast”?

Dorothy - Rauner. Stranger in a new world, hoping to get what she/he wants

Tin Man - Sen. Barickman. Swinging a rusty arm and a dull axe, thinking the fight is for the heart of the alleged GOP

Scarecrow - Leader Radogno. Smarter than Dorothy, but trying to pretend he/she is looking for a brain that already exists if he/she is willing to use it.

Cowardly Lion - Leader Durkin. No revenues this year, yes revenues if “this”, we are fighting for our governor, but making the “yellow” button… Cowardly.

Toto - easiest to cast, differebt animal. Ron Sandack, but not a Terrier, but an Owl.

Glinda and ‘Elphaba’ - President Cullerton/Speaker Madigan. Interchangeable. Run OZ, divided witches, willing to play good cop/bad cop, but neither willing to fully help, especially Glinda until the end.

Wizard. The Rauner Crew as a whole. Taxed to help Dorothy, in the end, they all might just leave in a balloon, leaving Dorothy to need Glinda to get what Dorothy wants.

Munchkins. The ILGA, as a whole.

…

Comment by Oswego Willy Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:26 am
It’s hard to believe that a responsible grown man would engineer a state shutdown on some ego-trippin’ quest for fleetin’ national publicity from the Murdoch crowd.

Hope that’s not the plan. It’s incredibly reckless and selfish.

But then again, I can’t fathom why a rich dude would spend all that dough in the Third Act of his life feeding his anti-union fever.

Seriously, you can do anything at this stage of your life, and this is your choice? I don’t know what makes the dude tick.

Comment by Wordslinger Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:31 am
Since Cullerton put a hold on the bill, is it safe to assume it is one of the bargaining chips in the budget deal? If so, that’s bad news for AFSCME.

Comment by Pelonski Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:33 am
Nice logo. Could your friend replace the Emerald Coty at the end with the Thompson Center and maybe give it a green glow?

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:43 am
Oops, Emerald City

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:45 am
Rauner is the Wizard
Avery Bourne- Dorothy
Tim Butler - Scarecrow
Jim Durkin - Cowardly Lion
Barickman- Tin Man

Comment by LobsterJr Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:49 am
It’s going to take some industrial strength spin for the governor to explain why he’d be opposed to state employees giving up the right to strike.

Comment by Wordslinger Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:53 am
Funny, I always thought of Rauner as Oz: The man pretending to have more power than he really does, making others kill witches and whatnot to make himself look better, making promises and then changing the terms at the last minute. And his crew were the flying monkeys.

Yes, I’d thought about this before.

Comment by HangingOn Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 10:53 am
SB1229 partial amendment -
“mediation shall be initiated within 30 days from the expiration of the agreement or the effective date of the amendatory Act; if a mediator is unable to bring the parties to agreement through conciliation within 30 days of the commencement of mediation or an additional period to which the parties agree, either party may initiate impasse arbitration procedures except that, in determining the jurisdiction or authority of the arbitration panel, arbitration procedures are deemed to have been initiated before the commencement of any fiscal year occurring after the expiration of the agreement; an expired agreement is in full force and effect and conditions of employment may not be changed by action of either party without the consent of the other until a successor agreement is adopted; and the right to strike is considered waived until the convening of the arbitration hearing. Effective immediately.” The right to lock-out is not waived, or am I missing something. Where does it say arbitration is binding?

Comment by Mama Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:03 am
Tin Man is Rauner. Wizard - Brown? (Madigan’s staff.)

Comment by Mama Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:08 am
Summer forecast:

Contract–going nowhere bec rauner wont budge wout doing heavy damage to the union, and their overpaid, feather bedding, overstaffed members.

Lockout–if it is correct that rauner can cancel the contract w 30 days notice, i expect him to do so. If employees are locked out, and rauner attempts temp hires, i think that sways public opinion in favor of state employees.

Budget–dems would be wise to cobble together workers comp reform, and a temporary prop tax freeze (as mild as they can make it), quickly, and then deliver it to rauner. Steal his thunder

Attack ads–muddy the picture, embitter the members, make everyone look bad

Comment by Langhorne Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:10 am
==to explain why he’d be opposed to state employees giving up the right to strike.==

Governor My Way or the Highway would never accept binding arbitration. A fair contract is not his purpose here.

Rauner couldn’t get Right to Work, so it’s back to Plan A: Destroy all unions, starting with AFSCME.

Comment by Wensicia Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:20 am
A huge mistake by AFSME to give up the right to strike, one of the most fundamental hammers that they have. Other unions were extraordinarily skeptical about this lunacy and are praying the Governor doesn’t sign it and say let’s do it for everyone. Work for literally decades to secure the right to organize, bargain and strike if necessary and then trade it away at the first sight of a tough negotiation. Wow! Step back and think about how extreme this move is . . . .union brethren from the past are rolling over in their graves.

Comment by Searchingfortruth Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:32 am
Langhorne, where are those overstaffed members working?

Comment by Mama Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:34 am
Dorothy played by Ms Arduin - may be waking up tomorrow back in Kansas (4months?) being told by Brownback that everything will be okay against a backdrop of the Kansas “tornado”

Comment by Long time listener Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:52 am
I still think rauner is,the,wicked witch,he doesnt realize how vulnerable he,is,…..just a simple bucket of water…

Comment by gramfogarty Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:52 am
If MJM isn’t the man behind the curtain pulling the strings, then I am a flying monkey’s uncle!

Comment by Pale Rider Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 11:56 am
“A huge mistake by AFSME to give up the right to strike”

I don’t think it’s a mistake to put something like that out there. I don’t think AFSCME expects the governor to sign the legislation, and that’s perhaps why it was done. It’s to make a statement to folks in Illinois that the union is willing to be “reasonable” in the face of such draconian contract demands from a person who made $60 million in 2013 after having retired from his company, GTCR. That’s $164,383 per day.

If the governor does not sign the bill, or if the bill is held off by Cullerton, the union made its point. The unions have to present something to the taxpayers and others, and it’s that they’re willing to submit to a process that could benefit both themselves and taxpayers. In this way, if they strike, they can say they tried to avoid it.

I have hope that if a moderate 2016 budget deal is reached, some of that reasonableness will carry over into union contract negotiations. I know it might be naive of me to hope this, but I have to try to be optimistic. Following Illinois politics can make someone proverbially want to jump off of a bridge.

Comment by Grandson of Man Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 12:07 pm
“their overpaid, feather bedding, overstaffed members”

http://news.illinois.edu/news/13/0311stateworkerwages_RobertBruno.html

http://www.governing.com/gov-data/public-workforce-salaries/states-most-government-workers-public-employees-by-job-type.html

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 12:13 pm
==“their overpaid, feather bedding, overstaffed members”==

That was inadequately labeled snark. I was referring to rauners outrageous characterizations.

I am regularly impressed by the state employees i bump into who show up every day, and give it their best shot, in the face of the current situation.

Comment by Langhorne Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 12:26 pm
@Langhorne
Thanks for the clarification. My snark meter must be on the fritz.

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 12:37 pm
I would add to Grandson’s comment that I don’t think AFSCME would have pushed for this bill unless it was VERY confident that it would get a favorable decision from the arbitrator, if it gets that far.

Comment by Anonymous Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 12:38 pm
“I would add to Grandson’s comment that I don’t think AFSCME would have pushed for this bill unless it was VERY confident that it would get a favorable decision from the arbitrator, if it gets that far.”

That too. AFSCME has done quite well in some big arbitration cases, such as back-pay and the Maximus medical redetermination contract. Democracy in action, baby.

Comment by Grandson of Man Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 12:55 pm
Langhorne- Regardless of the amount of pure hatred you have for a person it is still proper to capitalize names. Even if you are too petty to use an elected officials title out of respect for the office.

Comment by Thunder Fred Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 1:35 pm
@Searching for truth
As I understand it, the bill would temporarily curtail the unions right to strike/be locked out for four years. It applies only to those in working under the Gov…not the other executive divisions.

All workers have to worry about the health care proposals which are negotiated only by AFSCME for all of them.

If AFSCME does believe the administration is not negotiating in good faith and wants a strike/lock, the bill would be a safeguard against disruption in services which could spiral.

After with holding the fair share dues, it may seem to some that what would have been unimaginable is possible or even probable.

I believe the bill is more than optics. I believe it is a needed safeguard for the functioning of the state and for union workers.

Comment by DuPage Grandma Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 1:58 pm
I assume the bricks are fools gold.

Comment by RNUG Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 2:46 pm
Sen Cullerton withdrew the motion to reconsider the union arbitration bill.

Comment by John Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 3:00 pm
@TF
I harbor no ill will towards the gov, much less “pure hatred”. I wish him well, for our mutual well being as a state. I fear he is blago 2.0, but w money.

I consider punctuation and grammar to be very personal. Each person is entitled to their own. (Twain?) When I do capitalize, it is usually due to autocorrect.

Comment by Langhorne Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 3:04 pm
Shouldn’t it be a brick wall?

Comment by Ginhouse Tommy Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 3:36 pm
The union leaders know a strike will not be successful as their members either cannot strike or will not (even if they vote for a strike). This might not matter - no budget will mean layoffs of non-essential members.

Comment by anon. Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 5:02 pm
So, let’s say the Governor vetos the bill. And the legislature overrides the veto. It’s doesn’t do anything about the money issues.

We’ve still got a $4 bil (maybe more) hole in the operating budget.The arbitrator can order (select) the deal, but I doubt can order the funding, which would most likely be a tax increase.

Illinois will start paying people in script? State of Illinois IOU’s?

I know - we can start selling off ‘Water Rights’ to our water to Western states.

Comment by Judgment Day Sunday, May 31, 15 @ 7:14 pm