State employees welcome back wage payment

On Monday, the state confirmed that employees in five departments now have received payments representing a portion of the wages they are owed as a result of a pay increase withheld in 2011.

The payments were authorized by a special appropriations bill that was passed in May only after dedicated, daily lobbying by AFSCME members at the State Capitol.

As of today, employees of the five state departments where employees are still owed back pay – Human Services, Corrections, Juvenile Justice, Natural Resources and Public Health – finally received payments. Although the percentage varied by agency, most employees saw about 45 percent of wages owed appear in their accounts.

“It felt good to finally see it,” said Local 46 member Chris James, a correctional officer at East Moline CC. “It wasn’t all of it, but it was good to get some of it.”

James was one of many AFSCME members who went to the Capitol as part of the Back Pay Brigades that personally lobbied legislators to pass the appropriations measure. “Now our hard work’s paid off,” he said.

Angie Fry, a licensed practical nurse at Shapiro Developmental Center and member of Local 29, said the victory is proof of union power.

“It was everyone’s involvement that got us there,” she said. “I went to the capitol a few times. We all have to fight the fight. Each and every one of us has to be involved.”

Voices will be heard again at the capitol for sure. Once legislators return to Springfield this fall, AFSCME will resume the fight for back-pay and won’t stop until every employee is paid the full amount owed.

“We’ve still got to fight and stay involved,” Fry said. “We need to get everything they owe us.”