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State Workers Rally for Pay Raises

AFSCME protestors with their "collection notice"
AFSCME protestors with their "collection notice"

The largest public employees union in Illinois said Governor Pat Quinn is a hypocrite and its members took their complaint to the state Capitol one day after the governor gave his State of the State speech.

AFSCME said Quinn's announcements of new programs don't square with his stance that Illinois is too broke to afford union pay raises.

The  union represents prison guards, welfare counselors, and thousands of clerical and administrative state employees.

AFSCME said it's time for Quinn to change his mind  and pay the raises state workers were guaranteed.

AJ Schmid was one of hundreds of AFSCME members who protested in front of the governor's Capitol office.  Schmid, who teaches prisoners at the Shawnee Correctional Center, said she's sick of hearing Quinn's rhetoric.

“He was in Indiana, making a big claim about how he's all pro union, that he has a pro-union state.  As he's making those statements, he is standing in a broken contract,” Schmid said.

AFSCME members tried to get into Quinn's office to give him a signed petition they called a “collection notice.”

They were rebuffed, though it didn't matter because the governor was in northern Illinois.

Court  cases over the raise dispute are ongoing.

Thanks to Illinois Public Radio

 

Rich is TSPR's News Director.