Court rules state employees to be paid on time and in full

AFSCME and 12 other unions representing public service workers in state government won a court ruling on the afternoon of July 9 that would ensure Illinois state employees are paid on time and in full even in the absence of an enacted state budget for the fiscal year that started July 1.

Ruling from the bench, St. Clair County Circuit Court judge Robert LeChien granted the unions' request for a temporary restraining order directing state Comptroller Leslie Munger to pay all state employees. A written order will be entered on Friday.

The unions argued that failure to pay state employees on time and in full would result in an impairment of contract—the respective collective bargaining agreements between the unions and the state.

"Public service workers in state government have remained on the job to keep our communities safe, protect kids, care for veterans and the disabled, and provide countless other vital services to all the people of Illinois," AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch said. "We believe strongly that public service workers and the people of our state should not be pawns in the budget fight, and we're gratified that the court agreed.

"Now we urge Governor Rauner to drop his extreme demands that are unrelated to the budget and would only hurt working families," Lynch added. "It is long past time for the governor to work together with lawmakers on a budget with new revenue to fully fund the state government that citizens expect and deserve."