Rauner's labor board evades responsibility on state employee step increases

Meeting Nov. 14, the Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB) failed once again to take action to compel Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration to follow the law and pay state employees the step increases they are owed.

The ILRB, whose members are appointed by Rauner, has now met twice since AFSCME filed an Oct. 9 motion seeking to have the board request an appellate court order directing administration to immediately place state employees on the appropriate step.

By not even considering AFSCME’s motion, the board is essentially allowing the Rauner Administration to refuse to comply with ILRB directives to redress its illegal step freeze and restore employees to their rightful place on the step schedule.

Most recently, the administration’s outside law firm sent yet another letter asserting the calculations involved would take at least two months to complete.

“Once again, it’s all too clear that Bruce Rauner believes himself to be above the law,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said. “He is determined to do everything in his power to rob employees of the wages they are owed.”