AFSCME Launches Its Own Campaign For Contract
From the Bloomington Pantagraph
With negotiations on a new labor contract heading into their final month, the state's largest employee union is poised to take its message to the people.
Beginning next week, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 will sponsor a series of local events at work sites across the state.
The aim is to educate the public about the work the employees, AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said Tuesday.
"There will be public events where people are talking about those services and, at the same time, showing their commitment to a fair union contract," Lindall said.
The events are part of campaign aimed at blunting Gov. Bruce Rauner's tough talk on employee unions that has led to concerns that he wants to force a strike or order a lockout if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't completed by June 30.
Along with publicly criticizing the union over wages, the use of overtime and seniority, the administration privately is pushing for a wage freeze, an increase in health insurance costs and other concessions during the closed-door bargaining talks that have been underway since January.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Bloomington Pantagraph
With negotiations on a new labor contract heading into their final month, the state's largest employee union is poised to take its message to the people.
Beginning next week, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 will sponsor a series of local events at work sites across the state.
The aim is to educate the public about the work the employees, AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said Tuesday.
"There will be public events where people are talking about those services and, at the same time, showing their commitment to a fair union contract," Lindall said.
The events are part of campaign aimed at blunting Gov. Bruce Rauner's tough talk on employee unions that has led to concerns that he wants to force a strike or order a lockout if a new collective bargaining agreement isn't completed by June 30.
Along with publicly criticizing the union over wages, the use of overtime and seniority, the administration privately is pushing for a wage freeze, an increase in health insurance costs and other concessions during the closed-door bargaining talks that have been underway since January.
Read more in our daily News Update...