Open Illinois.org

With 37,000 members throughout Illinois, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest labor union in the state.  AHN writer Jupiter Kalambakal reported that AFSCME ratified a contract Friday with the state of Illinois that includes a 15.25% pay raise implemented over the course of four years. This pay raise for 37,000 government employees was ratified only a week after Governor Blagojevich announced the closing of state parks and historic sites because of an unbalanced state budget.

The first year’s increase will cost around $16 million according to estimates.

Who voted on this, and where is the money coming from?

Guess what ladies and gents… your representatives in the General Assembly did NOT VOTE on this.  ”These kinds of agreements are strictly between the executive office and the union,” I was told by someone from the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

I was directed to contact Central Management Services (CMS), where my call to the switchboard operator yielded no  useful information. The operator told me that she “has absolutely no information or phone numbers related to anything regarding unions.” Some inquiries with journalists reporting on the subject revealed similar experiences.

Curious taxpayers: I dare you to find out the process of how millions of dollars in the state budget are appropriated to the pockets of government employees.

It seems to me that it may be by a lone pen stroke of the governor.