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Step increases to resume in April

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* SJ-R…

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says state employees will be placed on the correct step of the state pay plan on April 1.

The reinstatement of long-postponed, experience-based salary increases is expected to affect about 20,000 state workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Pritzker announced his intention to bring back the raises earlier this month on his first full day in office.

Step increases, required by state law, are paid to employees in their first eight to 10 years who, as a savings to state government, start at below-market rates as incentive to gain experience and stick around. Former Gov. Bruce Rauner halted them in 2015 when AFSCME’s last contract expired.

The administration estimates the cost will be around $50 million for the remainder of the fiscal year.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:19 am

Comments

  1. Hopefully this is not the best April Fools joke ever pulled off!

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:22 am

  2. Why wait until April?

    Comment by Huh? Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:23 am

  3. Hopefully this is not an April Fools joke!

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:24 am

  4. What about those retired who missed the raise last 2 years. They owe us a lot of money and it would raise my pension very important.

    Comment by Cler deacon Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:27 am

  5. Great. I am very happy about this development. It means a lot to my base salary as a state employee. I am concerned that this decision happened after getting the not 90 day but 60 day extension on the Impasse appeal. Did this only happen because of 60 not 90? What does Laner Muchin have to say on this since they are running this process for Pritzker? I wonder what would have happened had Laner Muchin gotten the 90 day extension? Does Laner Muchin plan on pressing Madigan/Cullerton for the legally and contractually obligated backpay or will it be paid out six years from now in several installments without interest? Could someone from the media ask Laner Muchin what they plan to do?

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:30 am

  6. So, how much is waiting till April going to increase the amount of unpaid bills racking up 7% interest?

    Comment by Anon Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:34 am

  7. I believe there is interest due as well. Unsure as to how this impacts retirees.

    Comment by Stones Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:35 am

  8. Cler deacon, ask Laner Muchin about that. They are running the relationship with AFSCME. Or you can ask your legislator(s). But you’re probably going to get more of an answer from Laner Muchin.

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:37 am

  9. Cler deacon, pension benefits would need to be recalculated. Whether that is part of this or need more time, I’m not sure if anyone has an answer to that yet.

    Comment by Fixer Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:39 am

  10. I’d expect the amount of interest is part of the negotiated settlement in the new contract. I don’t think the new contract is going to be a monetary windfall for Afscme workers. Much better than the Rauner days, but that is such a low bar.

    Comment by Just A Dude Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:43 am

  11. I wonder if he will include the other Unions that have missed steps (IFPE comes to mind). Impasse was never declared with IFPE so it would be interesting to hear reasons why they should not be placed on the proper steps since their agreement/contract is identical to AFSCME when it comes to the old contract is honored during negotiations

    Comment by AnonAnon Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:43 am

  12. You’re never going to see that 7% interest Anon. That was just an Administrative Law Judge who said eligible state workers were owed that.

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:43 am

  13. Does anyone know if this includes the 2% cost of living that we did not receive over the years. That would be helpful as well if that was included.

    Comment by Stateworker Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:43 am

  14. Anon @ 934am

    The only justice here would be if Rauner was paying the interest out of pocket. Really disappointing for taxpayers to be stuck with another unnecessary bill.

    How about real reform to attack the debt crisis? Revenue AND smart spending cuts? How about putting facilities upgrades and a more flexible time policy on the table for AFSCME in exchange for smaller pay increases? Bargaining means bargaining, there can be a good deal.

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:47 am

  15. Stateworker - general increases were already paid under terms of the 2012 agreement.

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:49 am

  16. AnonAnon- as far as I know the other unions signed a new contract with Rauner. They made a deal with him. Steps would not be owed. If you are not getting steps it means your union sold you out.

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:49 am

  17. This should make the salespeople at the car dealerships in Springfield very happy.

    Comment by Al Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 9:55 am

  18. The article only addressed proper placement / pay going forward from April 1.

    The statement as reported by WMAY last night said the back pay would be addressed as part of the new (yet to be negotiated) AFSCME contract.

    Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 10:06 am

  19. == I wonder if he will include the other Unions that have missed steps ==

    Probably going to depend on whether or not the other contracts have the “me too” clause to match AFSCME.

    Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 10:09 am

  20. ===Does anyone know if this includes the 2% cost of living that we did not receive over the years.===

    Probably to be addressed when contract negotiations resume.

    Comment by Nick Name Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 10:17 am

  21. Good news. If Rauner won he’d be pushing his union busting full bore.

    Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 10:18 am

  22. Union busting may still be on the table. JB has 60 days to think about it. It could be that the heat lamps are on back order? Maybe?

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 10:56 am

  23. Finally, a real timetable. I was very worried yesterday when I called the labor board and they told me the hearing on steps and backpay scheduled for this Thursday and Friday was continued by agreement of the parties. This suggests a benign explanation. But we’re not out of the woods yet with the backpay still out there.

    Comment by Anonymous Bosch Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 11:03 am

  24. Anonymous … IFPE is still technically negotiating and has not signed a contract and impasse was not declared. I know teamsters and some others signed, but not IFPE. Impasse wasn’t declared which is why they couldn’t join the AFSCME lawsuit.

    Comment by AnonAnon Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 11:10 am

  25. Thank you RNUG. I have been told the IFPE contract has that wording.

    Comment by AnonAnon Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 11:11 am

  26. What does the term “correct step” mean exactly. Does the uncertainty with the impasse issue have an effect on how many steps are potentially owed? Lots of ifs here but if the administration goes forward with asking the ILSC to rule on the issue and if the lower court is overturned, the steps owed will be limited.

    Comment by Former Hillrod Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 11:15 am

  27. ==Former Gov. Bruce Rauner halted them in 2015 when AFSCME’s last contract expired.==

    If they are going to provide this bit of background, why not make it correct and complete by including the fact that he did so in violation of the agreement under which the employees continued to work pending adoption of the new contract?

    Comment by Whatever Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 11:37 am

  28. Bout the same percentage of the annual budget as that wall thingy.

    Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 12:00 pm

  29. I hate to be the math major in this group, but can any of you tell me where this is coming from since we already have 7.5 billion in outstanding bills and a state that is bleeding population? Just curious. Even in Illinois, you should have funds available to pay for things before you commit to doing so.

    Comment by Tim Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:04 pm

  30. Tim. Silly you. Math has no place in Illinois politics.

    Comment by Blue Dog Dem Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:10 pm

  31. I’m not holding my breath on this. The Rauner administration did everything it could to prevent the step increases, in spite of the court ruling. The new administration, while giving encouraging words on the matter of step increases, it’s just that: words. I’ll believe the new administration when my paycheck reflects the 4 years of steps I missed.

    Comment by ElMNOP Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:19 pm

  32. “but can any of you tell me where this is coming from”

    Where are the wall and massive federal tax cuts for billion-dollar corporations and other rich people coming from? Where is the money coming from to pay for Rauner’s deliberate and unprecedented fiscal damage to Illinois?

    It’s Rauner’s fault, period. He thought he was smart but he’s clever by half. He violated the contract and deliberately ripped off the lowest-earning state workers–a guy whose personal wealth is in the hundreds of millions of dollars and literally thousands of times more than the workers he hurt.

    Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:45 pm

  33. “Where are the wall and massive federal tax cuts for billion-dollar corporations and other rich people coming from?”

    Didn’t realize this site has a redirect to Slate.

    Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 1:50 pm

  34. Blue Dog Dem. and maybe that is the problem. Is it possible they should add math classes to law school curriculums? It maybe just have math and finance and accounting classes as pre requisites for running for office?

    Comment by Tim Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:28 pm

  35. == I hate to be the math major in this group, but can any of you tell me where this is coming from since we already have 7.5 billion in outstanding bills and a state that is bleeding population? ==

    Any number of possibilities. Could delay some vendor or health insurance payments; the State has done that plenty in the past.

    Or they just might take it out of revenue cash flow; the State had announced it was running $1.5B ahead of estimates.

    Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:44 pm

  36. == take it out of revenue cash flow ==

    Which reminds me; I was working on my taxes today. Need to write a small check to the State.

    Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 2:46 pm

  37. “Does anyone know if this includes the 2% cost of living that we did not receive over the years. That would be helpful as well if that was included.”

    If you are taking about the general increases that we got most years from our contract, there was no new contract starting July 2015 (even up to today), so no general increase is due.

    I suppose that the union could try for retroactive increases going back to July 2015 to present, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it.

    Comment by Me Again Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 3:27 pm

  38. ===Need to write a small check to the State.===
    What’s a RETIRED non-union guy doing, writing a check to IDOR? (LOL)

    Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 3:46 pm

  39. Hey, Union Brothers and Sisters, how about we take a win as a win, eh?

    Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 3:58 pm

  40. I bet you wouldn’t be saying that Skeptic if you had over 20,000 illegally withheld from your check.

    Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 4:05 pm

  41. == What’s a RETIRED non-union guy doing, writing a check to IDOR? (LOL) ==

    I haven’t been able to get a special bill passed by the GA exempting all my income?

    Comment by RNUG Tuesday, Jan 29, 19 @ 4:46 pm

  42. RNUG. 184 days in Florida is all. At your annual $1,000,000 income you can afford a second home in Illinois.

    Comment by Blue Dog Dem Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 7:10 am

  43. -blue dog-,

    If I had that kind of retirement income, I wouldn’t be here in -14 degree weather.

    Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jan 30, 19 @ 9:01 am

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