03/03/2010	Union members do better Given that union members generally receive bigger paychecks and better employee benefits, it's curious why more people aren't card carriers. A new study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research drives home what union members have always known: "[B]etter protection of workers' right to unionize would have a substantial positive impact on the pay and benefits of workers in every state."
03/03/2010	Bill to protect employee privacy advances in House AFSCME-backed legislation that would preserve the confidentiality of employee performance evaluations passed out of the House State Government Committee on March 3. ...
03/03/2010	Chavez-Thompson wins Texas lt. governor primary The AFSCME family congratulates Linda Chavez-Thompson, former longtime AFSCME leader, who recently won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor of Texas with 53 percent of the vote.
01/27/2010	AFSCME, state reach mediated resolution on layoff grievances With expectations that a temporary injunction halting state layoffs would soon be lifted, an independent arbitrator mediated a resolution of the outstanding grievances related to implementation of some 2,600 scheduled layoffs. The final resolution will prevent any state employee from being laid off or any facility closed through the end of June, 2011 -- beyond some of the layoffs or the closures already announced.
03/02/2010	Voluntary furlough program gets underway AFSCME members in state government are encouraged to participate in the new voluntary furlough program which is intended to help the state cope with its dire budget shortfall. No state employee can be mandated to take an unpaid furlough day.
02/24/2010	AFSCME secretary-treasurer Lucy to step down After 57 years as an AFSCME member, 38 of those as the International Secretary-Treasurer, Bill Lucy has announced his intent to retire on June 25.
02/18/2010	Stimulus grant comes via tax return for some retirees Before AFSCME intervened, the $250 one-time payment for seniors contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was originally targeted for those who receive Social Security. But thanks to successful lobbying by AFSCME International,
02/17/2010	Rally rocks capitol More than 3,000 determined citizens—including hundreds of AFSCME members—packed the State Capitol rotunda on Feb. 17 to demand swift legislative action to address the state’s budget woes. ***Updated with tons of rally photos!
03/02/2010	AFSCME battles back against pension attacks Council 31 is fighting back against Big Business interests pushing for higher employee contributions and lower benefits--not only for future state employees, but current ones as well. ***UPDATE: See inside for news reports from the pension wars.
02/17/2010	Brady pushes bill to eliminate state pension system Senator Bill Brady, the presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee, is pushing legislation that would bar any new state or university employee from participating in the state pension systems.
02/17/2010	House passes bill to put brakes on Thomson sale On Feb. 17 the Illinois House of Representatives voted by an overwhelming majority to pass AFSCME-backed legislation that could help to slow--or even prevent--the sale of Thomson Correctional Center.
02/12/2010	AFSCME challenges Social Security privatizers to step forward The recent Republican alternative to President Obama's federal budget proposal includes a proposal to privatize Social Security, an idea that Congress and the American people have rejected time and again. Here's AFSCME International President Gerald McEntee's response...
02/03/2010	New rewards program for PEOPLE MVPs AFSCME has launched a new rewards program for MVP contributors to PEOPLE, the fund that supports the union's political and legislative work on the issues we care about and for the candidates who stand up for us.
01/19/2010	How you can help Haiti In their moment of urgent need, the people of Haiti have asked for help from the world community. Those of us who can must heed this call. AFSCME is donating $25,000 in relief funds to the Solidarity Center's Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers fund, and encouraging members to do the same through the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center.
01/15/2010	State Journal-Register: "Delays in paying health insurance bills hit home" The Jan. 15 edition of the Springfield State Journal-Register shines a light on how some health providers are asking state and university employees, retirees and their dependents to cover costs that should be paid by the state. It's yet another symptom of the state budget crisis that can only be solved by raising revenue.
01/14/2010	Vote count brings PSA 1s into AFSCME A long process came to a happy ending when the votes were finally tallied, showing that, by more than two to one, the 1,200 Public Service Administrator Option 1s had chosen AFSCME representation.
03/02/2010	Lone Ranger in reverse: Republican senator blocks jobless aid As a result of a one-man filibuster by U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky), more than 200,000 out-of-work Americans lost their unemployment benefits March 1, some 15,000 of them right here in Illinois.
01/08/2010	AFSCME calls for special task force to investigate release programs, safety in state prison system In a letter sent Jan. 7 to Illinois Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan, AFSCME Council 31 called for the immediate creation of "a special joint task force, including legislators from both parties and both chambers, to answer urgent questions about the administration of the corrections department. AFSCME members include some 11,000 frontline employees of the Illinois Department of Corrections.
03/05/2010	Bill to save jobs before US Senate AFSCME-backed legislation to bring additional federal aid to cash-strapped state and local governments is now before the U.S. Senate. It includes critical funding to help states deal with huge budget shortfalls for health care services — funding that will save thousands of jobs. Make a call now...
03/09/2010	AFSCME sues state over change to retiree insurance AFSCME Council 31 has filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court challenging the Quinn administration’s requirement that state retirees pay part of the cost of dental coverage under the state health plan.

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