Executive order draws union criticism

Posted on February 10, 2015

By John Gregory/Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – The relationship between the governor and Illinois’ largest state employee union is going from bad from worse.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s move to eliminate “fair share” payments from public sector employees who opt out of joining a union, but still get benefits from collective bargaining, is “blatantly illegal”, according to AFSCME Council 31 spokesman Anders Lindall.

“The governor cannot flout the law, ignore the law, or set the law aside because he personally disagrees with it,” Lindall said.

Lindall says these “fair share” payments are less than full-fledged union dues, and cover only the cost of negotiating and administering the union’s contracts. It does not, as Rauner claims, go towards political activities that non-union members may not support.

As for what this means to AFSCME’s contract with the state, which expires later this year, Lindall says Rauner’s “real agenda…is silencing the voices of working people and their unions who stand up for the middle class.”

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