Category: Legislative

Because of AFSCME’s efforts, direct support professionals (DSPs) and other frontline employees at state-funded disability agencies have seen their wages go up an average of more than $5 per hour over the past five budget cycles.

Primary Election Day is June 28 in Illinois. Early voting begins in many locations on May 19.

AFSCME members at community disability agencies are standing up for a desperately needed wage increase in this year’s state budget—with language requiring employers to pass the raise directly to frontline workers.

Marlon and his coworkers do essential work supporting individuals with developmental disabilities at state-funded human service agencies. The median wage? Just $12 an hour. AFSCME is lobbying to raise wages and ensure they go directly to workers' pockets!

In the spring state legislative session, the AFSCME Council 31 lobbying team secured passage of a bill that helps certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in the Illinois Department of Corrections maintain their certification.

Americans’ approval of labor unions is at the highest point it’s been in decades—68%—a recent Gallup poll found.

Last week AFSCME members got a big boost in their “mailboxes”—the largest-ever tax cut for working families in American history is the newly expanded child tax credit, part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Illinois' credit rating has been upgraded for the first time in more than 20 years.

In an unprecedented “virtual” legislative session, AFSCME Council 31 succeeded in positively impacting the state budget and helping pass a number of bills of importance to union members—and block passage of a number that would be harmful.

In a win for the labor movement, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act on March 9. The PRO Act reforms labor laws to give power back to workers so they can freely organize unions.