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Thousands of Illinois public employees could lose their collective bargaining rights under a bill passed by the state House last month and set for a state Senate vote June 22.
AFSCME Council 31 says the bill—S.B. 1556—would impact thousands of employees under the governor and other constitutional officers who’ve gained union rights in recent years. It changes the definitions of supervisory and managerial under state labor law.
The bill is backed by Gov. Pat Quinn (D) who just last February defended public employee unions and workers’ rights to collectively bargain when he appeared on MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews.”
“[Public employees] are on the front line for democracy in our world,” he said then. “And they should be entitled to democracy in the workplace. That’s what collective bargaining is all about.”
But now, says AFSCME in an alert to its members, “The Quinn administration is alleging that these employees are not committed to their jobs, simply because they belong to a union.”This is an insult to every union member in the state of Illinois who gets up every day, goes to work and gives their very best to the jobs that they do.
Without a shred of evidence, Quinn’s lobbyists are spreading the lie that employees in certain higher level titles cannot be counted on to perform their jobs with diligence and integrity now that they are part of the union.
If you live in Illinois, call your state senator (click here to find your state lawmaker) and tell him or her to vote no on S.B. 1556.For more on collective bargaining, visit our new website, Collective Bargaining: Real People. Real Impact.
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