State employee union sets new vote on contract agreement

Staff Report

Caregivers for the disabled, child protection workers and prison employees are just some of the nearly 40,000 frontline employees of Illinois state government who will vote again on whether to go forward with a new union contract with the Quinn Administration.

The state employees’ union, AFSCME Council 31, announced today that a new vote is required since the first tally was based on the administration’s commitment to drop its appeal of a court decision. In that case, the judge ruled that the state is obligated to honor the prior union contract and owes employees back wages withheld since July 2011.

Governor Quinn has asked that the appeal be dropped, but the authority rests with Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who has refused to do so.

“Tens of thousands of state employees have been denied their rightful wages for nearly two years,” AFSCME Council 31 executive director Henry Bayer said. “The court has ruled, correctly, that the state must honor the prior union contract, and that employees are owed their back pay. We think the appeal should be dropped and the matter put to rest. Since the earlier vote was based on assurances that the appeal would be withdrawn, union members have a right to re-vote now.”

The union and the Quinn Administration are urging lawmakers to approve an appropriation to pay the back wages. Passage of that measure would make the court case moot.