The state's largest government labor union is asking a St. Clair County court to force Governor Bruce Rauner back to the bargaining table.
AFSMCE has filed a lawsuit on behalf of some 30-thousand state employees whose terms of employment, as of now anyway, are at Governor Rauner's whims.Rauner in January decided his administration's attempts to reach a new contract with AFSCME weren't going anywhere.
He asked that an impasse be declared; recently the state labor board granted that request.
That means Rauner can now unilaterally enforce his preferred contract.
But, AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall says Rauner is starting to implement a new state contract ... before the law allows.
"Those demands include four years with no pay increase, a 100-percent hike in what workers now pay for health insurance. The combination of those two is a big, effective pay cut."
Lindall says the governor must wait until the board takes further, official action before he can do that.
The lawsuit asks that Rauner's decision be halted until then. Lindall says it's important because once changes are implemented ... they're hard to undo.
If Rauner's demands are allowed, workers can abide by them, hope they win in court or vote to strike.
The path leading to this fork in the road has been long. Dept. of Human Services caseworker Brian Poncin, back in May:
"Everything I've ever had, or did not have, has come from organized labor. And people have fought and died for this. So absolutely I will strike."
In a statement ... Rauner's office says the lawsuit is without merit. He cites other changes - like bonuses for workers with good attendance, and more generous bereavement leave - as common sense.
AFSCME is expected to later file another lawsuit ... asking to toss out the labor board's entire ruling.
