State employee Rally Days build support for public services and a fair contract

We provide important public services in communities throughout Illinois, and we deserve a fair contract. That was the clear message sent by thousands of AFSCME members who work for state government, as they took part in Rally Days at or near their worksites from June 9 to 11.

They demonstrated, marched, lined the streets, waved signs and talked to passersby. And the response was enthusiastic, with drivers honking their horns or giving us thumbs-up, local businesses bringing us refreshments, and pedestrians taking our flyers or yard signs.

"The turnout shows how much support there is for the people who provide key services, like emergency response and public safety," WMBD radio reported. 

“We’re building unity, we’re building strength. We’re letting people know that our services are valuable and we care about our community,” Hill Correctional Center employee Natalie Mason told the Galesburg Register-Mail.

And those were just two examples of the widespread media coverage that helped get our message out.

At Lincoln and Logan Correctional centers, the Decatur Herald & Review reported that "Many who had just finished their shifts stood in their dark uniforms in the 90-degree heat, holding signs calling for a fair contract and saying, 'We protect public safety.' 'There's not a single person out here who is not willing to sweat for what they deserve,' said Shaun Dawson, union president at Logan. 'They put their lives on the line on a daily basis.'"

In Springfield, Department of Revenue employee Jennifer Desulis told Illinois Public Radio, "We want everybody to have a resolution. We want a fair contract. We want services to continue on for the whole community, for the whole state."

The current union contract is set to expire on June 30, and our union and the Rauner administration remain very far apart in the effort to reach a successor agreement. While there is no formal agreement to extend the contract, bargaining dates have been scheduled for July and both parties have committed to continue good-faith efforts to reach a settlement.

Even so, we can't forget that as a candidate, Gov. Rauner repeatedly vowed to “shut down state government” in order to weaken the rights and drive down the wages of public service workers. Since taking office, he has pushed for budget cuts that are harmful to children, seniors and middle-class families, instead of working together with lawmakers to solve real problems. And he has traveled the state giving speeches that attack working people, especially public service workers.

Rauner's attacks are “a real slap in the face when he has people in his own administration that are getting pay increases out of this world,” AFSCME Local 141 president Julie Yana of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center told the Southern Illinoisan.

At Kiley Developmental Center, the Lake County News-Sun reported, "social worker Nora Bobart of Northbrook said she can't understand why state service workers are being targeted by the governor. 'We take care of people who cannot take care of themselves,' she said."

In the Bloomington Pantagraph, "Mary Ann Poynter of Champaign, a 14-year DCFS worker in the Bloomington office, expressed concern about the impact of a stalemate on her office. 'I protect children and families,' Poynter said. 'There's no one else that can do my job' if there is a shutdown. Maria Moubarik of Bloomington, a case worker for the Department of Human Services, said a government shutdown would affect 'those who are particularly vulnerable.'"

“We want the public to know that it’s not us who is pushing for a stalemate,” Steve Howerter, the president of AFSCME Local 3585 at Illinois River Correctional Center, told the Canton Daily Ledger. “We continue to negotiate in good faith, and even though the Governor has made that same claim, his proposals show otherwise. We understand the importance of the work we do, and want nothing more than a fair agreement.”

One tool to help achieve a fair agreement and prevent any disruption of state services is Senate Bill 1229, legislation backed by AFSCME and other unions representing state workers, that would allow the parties the option to rely on an independent arbitrator as an alternative means of resolving outstanding issues in contract negotiations. That bill is now on the governor’s desk.