Union bulletin: Gov. Rauner wants wage freeze, vacation and holiday time reductions

[Omaha Steve]

Source: SJ-R

By Doug Finke

The Rauner administration is seeking a wage freeze from unionized state workers as well as reductions in vacation and holiday time, the American Federation of State County and Municipal employees said in a bulletin sent to members.

A May bargaining bulletin from the union obtained by The State Journal-Register, also said the administration is seeking "deep cuts to health insurance benefits" that the union said could drive up employee costs by more than 500 percent.

"This week the administration made all too clear how little value it places on the work we do," the bulletin said. "The governor’s negotiators presented the AFSCME Bargaining Committee with a lengthy list of economic proposals that amounted to a massive assault on the standard of living of every state employee."

AFSCME, which represents the largest group of state workers with about 38,000 members, has been in talks for months with the administration on a new contract. The current AFSCME contract expires after June 30.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.sj-r.com/article/20150521/NEWS/150529877

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. Wrong direction, instead of lowering standard of living for group A, why not

increase it and insist that Group B also goes up.

[yeoman6987]

2. Why is Illinois in such debt that cuts have to be made?

Why not increase income taxes and property taxes? Much better solution.

[Hoppy]

3. Because he is a Republican and maybe has dreams of being president.

You don't get the Republican nomination if your record includes raising taxes.

[Midnight Writer]

5. Income tax was increased temporarily under Gov. Quinn (D)

but the increase expired. Illinois income tax is a "flat" rate to all taxpayers, regardless of income, so the poor and middle class were hurt more than the wealthy. A progressive tax based on income makes more sense, but that is of course unthinkable.

Property tax in Illinois is a county program, and there is no state property tax.

The main problem is the State Employees pension system. The State has refused for years to pay their share of the pension plan, "off setting" it each year to a future date. The employees, meanwhile, have been paying in all these years and are now discovering that their pension dollars have been spent by the State for other purposes.

Of course, a tax increase and a policy of the State devoting pension payments to only pensions is the only possible solution. But the politicians are instead trying a series of ineffective gimmicks so they can avoid an unpopular tax increase.

[Thekaspervote]

4. Of course!! I will just keep sayin' it again and again

Ruiner is my name and ruining the middle class is my game!