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AFSCME’S
BATTLE WITH RAUNER IS FAR FROM OVER
Illinois Policy Institute
An Illinois appellate court ruled in favor
of AFSCME March 1, but that isn’t the end of the court battle between
the state and its largest government-worker union. The court’s order to
prevent the governor from implementing his contract offer is temporary,
and there is much more to come.
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 An Illinois appellate court issued an order March 1 that prevents Gov. Bruce
Rauner from implementing his contract offer to the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees, the union that represents approximately 35,000
state employees. But that court order does not end the ongoing battle between
the union and state taxpayers.
The court’s order is temporary. Following the state labor board’s determination
in November that AFSCME and the state were at impasse in negotiations for a new
contract for state workers, both AFSCME and the state filed appeals in state
court.
The Fourth District Appellate Court’s March 1 order simply prevents the labor
board’s decision from going into effect while it decides whether the impasse
decision was correct. As a result, the governor is prevented from implementing
his last, best offer to AFSCME – and the delay is costing state taxpayers
millions of dollars each month.
What happens next in court?
The case continues before the Fourth District Appellate Court, where AFSCME and
the state will file written arguments in coming weeks. The court will issue its
decision following oral argument before a panel of Fourth District judges.
Either or both parties can then appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. That means
a final court determination of whether the AFSCME and the state are at impasse
could be months away.
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Does the March 1 order mean AFSCME won’t strike?
The Fourth District’s March 1 order does not foreclose a future
AFSCME strike.
AFSCME Executive Director Roberta Lynch has indicated that a strike
is a possibility should a court allow the labor board’s decision to
go into effect. If either the Fourth District or the Illinois
Supreme Court affirms the labor board’s impasse decision, Rauner
could implement his last, best contract offer, and AFSCME could
strike.
What impact does the March 1 order have on taxpayers?
For each month AFSCME’s contract with the state is not in effect,
Illinois is paying an additional $35 million to $40 million in
health coverage alone. Over the course of the more than 20 months
the state has been without a contract, that’s $700 million to $800
million.
The appellate court’s March 1 order staying the labor board’s
decision means the governor cannot implement his last offer to
AFSCME – and taxpayers are paying a hefty price for it.
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