The new contract comes after months of negotiations between the AFSCME and the Pritzker administration — and nearly four years of conflict with former Governor Bruce Rauner, who left contract negotiations in January 2016 and refused to meet with the union bargaining committee for the rest of his term. Instead, Rauner had tried to unilaterally enforce his extreme demands — including doubling health care costs for employees and eliminating safeguards against privatization plans — but was stopped by the courts. The agreement was ratified by an overwhelming majority of union members. “The large margin reflects how ready state employees are for the return of reason and good governance after Bruce Rauner`s relentless attacks,” Lynch said. “Public sector workers in the state government clearly believe that this contract is fair to everyone.” The new agreement will enter into force immediately and run until 30 June 2023. The current contract is expected to expire at the end of June 2015. Among other provisions, the new treaty strengthens workers` protection against excessive overtime, expands maternity and paternity leave, creates a new employment management body to reduce the risk of violence in the workplace and improves workers` safety, preserves accountability standards for privatisation proposals and creates new safeguards to protect workers` private information. “The Rauner era was marked by hostility towards workers and chaos within the state government. AfSCME members survived by standing together and refusing to be bullied,” said Roberta Lynch, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 31. Members of AFSCME – the largest public sector workers` union in the state government – voted to ratify a new contract negotiated with Governor JB Pritzker`s government. The vote took place between June 12 and 21 at more than 400 factory meetings across the state, where union members had the opportunity to review the terms of the agreement and ask questions before voting. Employee premiums and expenses in the state`s group health insurance will increase. While specific employee contributions vary by type of health care plan and salary level, premiums will increase by $13 per month each month in January for individuals and $18 per month for families.

This keeps Illinois in the middle ranks of the state`s health plans for employees at the national level. In recognition of their continued diligence during Rauner`s tenure — when he froze their salaries and illegally prevented employees from following the four-year salary schedule — state employees initially receive a $625 scholarship for each of the past four years. General salary increases will follow in January 2020 (1.5%), July 2020 (2.1%), July 2021 and July 2022 (3.95% each). Public servants have not received an overall increase since July 2014. Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represents nearly 40,000 state employees who protect children from abuse and neglect, care for veterans and people with disabilities, keep prisons safe, maintain state parks, help struggling families, and provide countless other important public services to communities across the state. .