On March 11, the Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether pension cuts affecting state employees, state university employees and downstate teachers are unconstitutional.

Oil refinery workers represented by the United Steelworkers have been forced out on strike at facilities across the country after management’s refusal to address concerns regarding health and safety.

The Illinois AFL-CIO, AFSCME and 25 other unions have filed suit to invalidate Gov. Rauner’s executive order blocking state agencies from collecting “fair-share” fees.

The expiration of last year's income tax rates is costing the state $5 billion a year. The resulting tax breaks benefit the rich, and Gov. Rauner wants to fund them with budget cuts for the rest of us.

In Chicago and Springfield, AFSCME helped propel to victory candidates who have pledged to stand with working families and defend union rights.

"The governor is wrong to propose a budget that gives billions in tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, while making billions in cuts to vital public services," AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch said.

When three state governments eliminated defined-benefit pensions in favor of 401(k)-style plans, promised savings failed to materialize and funding gaps actually worsened.

Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch called the governor’s executive order a “blatantly illegal abuse of power.”

Along with AFSCME, the Illinois AFL-CIO, laborers, teachers and other unions joined in criticizing proposals put forward by Gov. Rauner that would hurt middle-class families.

Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said that the union welcomed "recognition of the dangerous conditions in our state’s prisons," but strongly criticized the governor's policies that would drive down wages in the public and private sectors.

In Springfield, Chicago, Decatur, and the Quad Cities, labor leaders strongly criticized Bruce Rauner’s attempt to blame unions for the state’s economic woes. In Champaign, union members turned out to protest his appearance.

Lawyers for AFSCME and three other unions representing City of Chicago workers and retirees have asked a Circuit Court judge to halt implementation of a law that sharply reduces pension benefits in violation of the state constitution.

Delegates to the AFSCME Council 31 legislative conference set the union's agenda for the coming General Assembly, and heard speeches from Democratic state treasurer Mike Frerichs and Republican state senator Sam McCann.

With the richest 1 percent in the world close to controlling more wealth than the remaining 99 percent combined, action is needed now to reverse the trend and preserve a strong middle class.

Gov. Bruce Rauner's inaugural address identified big challenges facing state government but was marred by an unwarranted potshot at public employees and their unions.

A group of Chicago aldermen has renewed its push to pass an ordinance aimed at bringing transparency and accountability to the process for contracting out city services.

AFSCME local union leaders at Logan Correctional Center are challenging a report that significantly downplayed the extent of violence at the facility. They've documented some 400 instances of violence against employees and other inmates.

This week the Illinois Attorney General moved forward with two Supreme Court filings, one seeking to defend pension cuts and the other to deny back wages owed state employees.

Big Business is pushing “right-to-work” (for less) laws across the country. Illinois labor says “not in our state!”

A new study proves what many union members already know to be true: Being in a union means a big boost in life satisfaction.