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* UPDATED x1 - Maybe not * WIU announces mandatory furloughs as progress is reported in Springfield

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* Press release…

With the budget impasse approaching nine months, Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas announced today (March 1) that mandatory furloughs and voluntary pay reduction programs will be implemented for all non-negotiated personnel (administrative/non-academic and civil service personnel not covered by unions). While the mandatory program will take place June 1-30, employees may voluntarily elect to spread out their furlough days or participate in the voluntary pay reduction program beginning April 2.

The furlough schedule, which is based on base salary, follows:

Over $150,000: 15 days
$125,000-$149,999: 14 days
$100,000-$124,999: 13 days
$75,000-$99,999: 12 days
$50,000-$74,999: 10 days
$40,000-$49,999: 6 days
Less than $39,999: No furloughs

* Meanwhile, from a senior Republican official close to the process…

Speaker Madigan has agreed to consider not calling the override on the governor’s veto of SB 2043 and will consider negotiating a new bipartisan plan that both Democrats and Republicans can support.

That is why the GOP press conference scheduled for 3 has been postponed.

SB 2043 is the MAP grant bill. The GOP press conference was about alternative funding proposals for higher education.

*** UPDATE *** Steve Brown…

The plan is to override the bumbled veto of the community college/MAP grants appropriation. Talks have been going on for a long time. If you want to portray that as recent progress you’re getting ahead of yourself.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:07 pm

Comments

Sullivan’s comments are worth reading-

http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/20160301/NEWS/160309950

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:10 pm
Yet more hostages in the pursuit of the TurnAroundAgenda!

Comment by illini Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:12 pm
Let Bruce know how you feel by sending him a message on his Gov Rauner Facebook page. I’d suggest sending an email, but Bruce is the only person on earth without one.

Comment by Jack Stephens Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:18 pm
That’s odd? It seems progress is always reported when the turnaround agenda is put on the shelf.

Comment by Abe the Babe Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:26 pm
===Speaker Madigan has agreed to consider not calling the override on the governor’s veto of SB 2043 and will consider negotiating a new bipartisan plan that both Democrats and Republicans can support.===

If true, this is worth keeping an eye on.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:26 pm
This whole impasse is having the exact result Rauner wants.

Keep taxes low for him and the uber rich while the middle class takes a bath.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:27 pm
See, that Cullerton remark and the conspiracy theories about the unis from the guv made Madigan want to negotiate. He’s a brilliant tactician I tell ya.

Comment by Me Too Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:37 pm
Be interesting to know how many employees are in the various pay categories.

Comment by Cook street Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:38 pm
I feel sorry for my WIU friends. More Rauner victims.

Let’s hope there is some real progress on a compromise bill. Which, if done, should be entitled “The see what can get done when Rauner drops his poison pills bill.”

Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:41 pm
There is only one person in this budget impasse who has shown a willingness to blink when the heat gets turned up to 11. And that person is bruce rauner.

Madigan is a brilliant reader of poker faces. Every imperceptible nuanced motion can be easily overlooked by everyone in the game, everyone except MJM.

Now tell me, why would he not continue with his strategy when it has so far created cracks that are likely to break the whole dam?

And this is winning?

Comment by Abe the Babe Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:44 pm
Mike Madigan and the Leathernecks he controls.

Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 3:52 pm
All A&P employees here are doing 24 furlough days this fiscal year, regardless of salary. We had a sliding scale by income in the fall but that nicety went out the window as the fiscal situation became more dire.

The faculty have yet to give up anything. They could save half the employees being laid off next week but choose not to do so.

I’m just pointing out what’s going on. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Here’s hoping they’ll do something soon to make this unnecessary.

I doubt it.

Comment by Chucktownian Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 4:25 pm
Chucktownian — not true. Faculty deferred raises for this year in order to save jobs in the fall. Nothing else has been done because: 1) it has to be negotiated, and 2) it would do very little at this stage of the game. Your number of “saving half the employees” is invented. In the end, such divide and conquer is what they want and will not help anyone…

Comment by ash Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 4:40 pm
It is NOT true that faculty at EIU could have saved half of the layoffs that hit this week. That was never proposed by the admin and the only deal that management has ever discussed with faculty has been a furlough or salary deferral to prevent MORE layoffs that the admin says are required to get through the spring.

Comment by EIU Layoff Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 4:49 pm
===The plan is to override the bumbled veto of the community college/MAP grants appropriation.===

Anybody think the Speaker has 71 votes for this?

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 5:17 pm
@ 47th Ward,

I bet Dunkin isn’t on the short list of “green votes”

Comment by How Ironic Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 5:18 pm
47th - I don’t see 71, but maybe it’s more about the vote than the outcome. With respect….

Comment by Columbo Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 5:24 pm
Sadly, no override, maybe 67 votes… maybe

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 5:35 pm
The only “bumble” was passing legislation that failed to include a payment mechanism.

This should be an easy one to compromise on. Rauner already proposed a way to pay for MAP grants. Simply propose a way to pay for it if you don’t support the way Rauner suggested and the state can get this done.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 6:45 pm
The way this reads is that someone who makes 40K will now make less than someone who makes 39.9K.

And this would be true up the line at that same point. Hope that this is not the case otherwise there was not much common sense used in this decision

Comment by Federalist Tuesday, Mar 1, 16 @ 8:00 pm
Rauner’s suggested funding mechanism is pass his “procurement reform” which, you guessed it, has antiunion components to it. I am having time finding (yes I googled) his exact verbage on the procurement reform but did listen to his entire press conf. on education and there were anti union components. What I took away from the press conference is that the Gov has no credibility and every time he speaks it gets worse. First he states he called and “you know what they told me” later he states, he didn’t hear it directly but has “good sources”. Its like he doesn’t even realize he is doing it and sadly a lot of people don’t see it.

Comment by burbanite Wednesday, Mar 2, 16 @ 7:58 am