Bruce Rauner
Trying to back Governor Bruce Rauner into a corner on collective bargaining, the Democrats have passed House Bill 1229.
Here is a brief description of the bill:
Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act.
Provides that with respect to collective bargaining agreements expiring on or after June 30, 2015 but before July 1, 2019 between the State and units of employees of State agencies which are not resolved by the expiration date:
- mediation shall be initiated within 30 days from the expiration of the agreement or the effective date of the amendatory Act;
- if a mediator is unable to bring the parties to agreement through conciliation within 30 days of the commencement of mediation or an additional period to which the parties agree, either party may initiate impasse arbitration procedures except that, in determining the jurisdiction or authority of the arbitration panel, arbitration procedures are deemed to have been initiated before the commencement of any fiscal year occurring after the expiration of the agreement;
- an expired agreement is in full force and effect and conditions of employment may not be changed by action of either party without the consent of the other until a successor agreement is adopted; and
- the right to strike is considered waived until the convening of the arbitration hearing.
Effective immediately.
Here are the roll calls on the bill. House first.
Note that the bill’s title has absolutely nothing to do with collective bargaining.
Jack Franks and Barb Wheeler did not vote. Wheeler was attending her daughter’s eight grade graduation. It appears that Franks took a walk, as insiders would put it.
Andersson, McSweeney and Tryon voted, “No.”
Now, who voted how in the Senate. Local Senators Pam Althoff, Dan Duffy and Karen McConnaughay voted against the legislation.
How the State Senate voted on the collective bargaining bill a day later.
This bill puts every state employee into the same category as public safety employees by not allowing them to strike and therefore also not allowing the employer (the Governor) to lock them out if a contract impasse occurs. However, prior to commencement of arbitration, the employees may still strike – but the employer’s ability to lock out employees is not specifically preserved.
The bill requires that mediation be initiated for unresolved issues within 30 days of the expiration of the current agreement. If after 30 days, mediation fails, then either party may initiate arbitration – normally both parties must agree to arbitration. Having an arbitrator decide a contract takes elected officials out of the process.
The AFSCME contract provides annually for
• 13 holidays
• 3 personal days
• 12 sick days (which can accumulate)
• 10-25 vacation days.
• Automatic promotions and pay raises higher than the rate of inflation for all employees regardless of performance.
• 37.5 hour work week.
• Retirement at age 60
• Pensions up to 80% of the final average salary
• Fully paid retiree healthcare
• Provisions for various leaves of absence
• Education benefits
• Paid time to do union work.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Smiddy (D), has received $350,000 in campaign contributions from AFSCME.
No wonder the state’s in the condition it’s in.
Cullerton and Madigan want to stack the collective bargaining negotiation odds to favor organized labor.
Organized labor figures the arbitrators will give them a better deal than Rauner.
If you look at the financial condition of many taxing districts and the state including their pension funds, retiree healthcare funds, and past due bills, and look at the arbitration awards, you will scratch your head.
Arbitrators don’t have to look at the overall financial health of the taxing district including unfunded pension and retiree healthcare liabilities.
So let’s take a closer look.
Here are the Illinois Labor Review Board (ILRB) appointed arbitrators (and mediators); the arbitrators being the people whom organized labor want making the decisions on their collective bargaining agreements.
Visit the site and click on a few names to see their credentials and gain an understanding of their backgrounds.
The general public is not aware of Illinois arbitration law found in the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, which is state law that’s been modified over time by legislators and Governors.
Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB)
Mediation / Arbitration Roster
Curtiss K. Behrens
Edwin H. Benn
Paul S. Betts
Steven M. Bierig
Steven Briggs
Michelle Camden
Brian Clauss
Donald W. Cohen
Robert Costello
James R. Cox
Jules I. Crystal
Charles E. Donegan
Anne L. Draznin
Howard Eglit
Peter Feuille
Matthew W. Finkin
Robert E. Fitzgerald, Jr.
John C. Fletcher
Thomas F. Gibbons
Stephen B. Goldberg
Howard Z. Gopman
Ralph Goren
Paul B. Grant
Marvin F. Hill, Jr.
Michael Jay Jedel
Michael S. Jordan
Lisa Salvokitz Kohn
Sinclair Kossoff
Stanley E. Kravit
Paul Lansing
George Edward Larney
Michael H. LeRoy
David A. Loebach
Martin H. Malin
Raymond E. McAlpin
Roger MacDougall
Peter R. Meyers
Angela R. Murphy
James A. Murphy
Daniel Nielsen
Robert Perkovich
Brian E. Reynolds
William E. Sigler
Barry E. Simon
Elizabeth Simon
Thomas F. Sonneborn
Lamont E. Stallworth
Richard M. Stanton
Dennis V. Stoia
Jeanne M. Vonhof
Jeffrey B. Winton
Michael A. Wojcik
Aaron S. Wolff
Jacalyn J. Zimmerman
Glenn Zipp
http://www.state.il.us/ilrb/subsections/arbitration/roster.htm
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Interest Arbitration Awards
Illinois Labor Relations Board
Following is a list of Interest Arbitration Awards.
For each award, the arbitrator is noted in parenthesis after the case name.
The issues and whose proposal was adopted follows.
You can download these awards directly from this internet site.
2015 Arbitration Awards
Village of Barrington/Illinois FOP Labor Council
S-MA-13-167, Edwin H. Benn, 2/18/2015, #650
1. Wages – Village’s proposal
2. Insurance – Union’s proposal, status quo
3. Recall from layoff – Union’s proposal, status quo
4. Wellness and fitness – Village’s proposal, status quo
5. Drug and alcohol testing – Both proposals rejected, status quo
City of Chicago/Teamsters Local 700 (Supplemental)
L-MA-10-002, Edwin H. Benn, 4/3/2015, #651
1. Clarification of Opinion and Award dated January 9, 2013 (No clarification required)
2. Retroactivity of Acting Up, Call-in and Holiday Observances (City position)
3. Call-in meetings outside of regular work hours (City position)
4. Holiday and regular days off
5. SPCOs compensation
6. Retain jurisdiction
City of Peoria/Peoria Police Benevolent Association
S-MA-13-144, Robert Perkovich, 4/4/2015, #652
1. Tentative Agreement (Adopted)
2. Wages (Union’s final offer)
3. Longevity (Union’s final offer)
4. Duty Relief Days (Employer’s final offer)
5. Availability Pay (Employer’s final offer)
6.Step Movement (remanded to parties)
7. Good Attendance Policy (Arbitrator retains jurisdiction)
Awards added to summary since January 1, 2015:
#648 County of Jo Daviess/Policemen’s Benevolent Labor Committee (Clauss)
#649 Village of Oak Lawn/Oak Lawn Professional Firefighters Association – Supplemental (Benn)
#650 Village of Barrington/Illinois FOP Labor Council (Benn)
#651 City of Chicago/Teamsters Local 700 (Supplemental) (Benn)
#652 City of Peoria/Peoria Police Benevolent Association (Perkovich)
http://www.state.il.us/ilrb/subsections/arbitration/IntArbAwardSummary.htm
http://www.state.il.us/ilrb/subsections/arbitration/index.asp
State AFSCME employees contribute to the State Employee Retirement Systems (SERS) pension fund.
SERS members also contribute to Social Security.
Thus in retirement state employees receive both an SERS pension and Social Security.
Illinois labor law is already very slanted to organized labor at the expense of management / taxpayer.
This bill is irresponsible.
There was nothing wrong with the current Illinois Public Labor Relations Act (IPLRA) law before Rauner got into office.
The only difference is Rauner.
This is an I am Afraid of Rauner bill, I want to Mess with Rauner, I want to Make Rauner Look Bad, etc.
This bill is not taxpayer friendly.