State Employees Plan to Picket Government Buildings Tuesday

[jdmlt]

Just for information:

Employees are only on a Picket...not a Strike..
I am not at my fullest comprehensive abilities lately with this heat but while reading posts I am almost positive I'm seeing people thinking that COs are not at work...they are at work & this should not disrupt normal procedures at any prison.

[CMarie1881]

I really dislike it when people try to pin the public sector employees against the private sector employees. To say that the public sector employees think they are better or deserve different treatment is a slap in the face to me.  I do NOT get a 401 K, and I'm sorry but at a private or public job, those types of savings exist. I also think when you sign a contract, you better be willing to honor it. 

I am a RN and I choose to work for the state. The last check I received was the first week in June. I have to wait for a check.  I did receive a wonderful letter explaining that I am a state employee and the state is "behind" right now. They informed me that I should mail that letter to my utility companies, credit card companies and I guess the bank.

I urge anyone that has no understanding of how public sector jobs in IL are hurting right now to contact me, I will tell you all about it. I take care of people with highly contagious diseases, I get hit, spit on, kicked, cussed out and everything else on an almost daily basis. The people I take care of have mental illness.  I have made the decision to work in that environment, so I don't complain. I have a ratio of 1:65. My aides have a ratio of 1:30.  That is not only unsafe, but it breaks the law.  We are on mandated OT. When they exhaust us, they hire good ole private sector agencies to come in and work. A private sector nurse can easily pull in $40+ per hour. Plus the agency charges a per hour rate for the use of their nurses.  I don't make a ton of money. I make $21.07 per hour. If I switched to private sector, I could easily bump that up by at least $5- but probably more.  My aides make $9.75 an hour.  I don't hold private sector employees responsible for the crisis.

I directly blame deregulation, wall street and big banks to name a few.  You can cut all you want, but when you refuse to raise revenue (and in fact lower it), the problem will NOT be fixed.

As far as our pensions go, WE paid the vast majority of it.  The state borrowed it and didn't pay it back. Sucks to be us right?

Instead of attacking and not understanding, why don't you call up your local congressman, at either state or national level and ask WHY corporations (not small business) are being permitted to pay little to no tax.  Why are we giving companies like Exxon $156 million rebate checks when even during this shaky time are posting record breaking profits? Why? However, stop blaming public sector workers. The vast majority of us don't make all that much.

[jdmlt]

to CMarie... 

[TimeStandsStill]

Arbitrator Rules Governor Violated Union Contract By Denying Pay Raise
7/19/11 @ 3:03:58 pm

 
 
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - An independent arbitrator has ruled that Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn violated the union contract with 30,000 state workers by refusing to give them a pay raise due July 1.
    

Arbitrator Edwin Benn on Tuesday ordered Quinn to start paying the 2 percent increase within 30 days with back pay. That's according to a copy of Benn's opinion provided by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.   Quinn had said the Legislature did not appropriate the $75 million necessary to pay the employees in 14 state agencies.
    

Benn noted in his order that AFSCME had agreed to concessions to help the state during a fiscal crisis. Those included delaying half of the 4 percent raise union workers were supposed to get July 1.
    

Quinn's office says he will appeal.


http://www.wjbdradio.com/index.php?f=news_single&id=28046

[chantygirl]

Personally.. i think it all sucks.. anyone who works anywhere, deserves a paycheck, and deserves a raise... if you make a promise, it should be kept. 

I just wanted to chime in and say to whomever it was who asked about social security and medicare that yes.. social security did NOT get a raise last year.  My mother lives on a widows pension, and hasn't gotten a raise in 3 years.  And medicare doesn't go up for the ones already on it.  Once you get on medicare the amount doesn't raise, it's the people who are next in line for medicare who deal with the price increase. 

[mamacita1]

Legislature may not have appropriated this money, but they still have the power to spend monies.  This is all politics - governor and legislatures look good for appearing to try to cut the budget, the unions look bad for getting their due monies.

[Still love my son]

   To C Marie.....

[TimeStandsStill]

Governor Wins Temporary Order To Avoid Paying State Employee Raises
7/23/11 @ 11:09:46 am


SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn won a temporary halt on paying state employee raises that were due earlier this month.

Cook County Circuit Judge Richard Billik granted Quinn's request Friday to hold off paying the 2 percent raise. An arbitrator ruled earlier this week that Quinn had to pay.   Another hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.   Quinn announced July 1 he wouldn't pay the 2 percent raise - worth about $75 million - that's owed to nearly 30,000 state workers. He says lawmakers didn't give him enough money to cover them.

The arbitrator had said the contract requires paying raises to members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The union has already delayed another 2 percent raise to help in the budget crisis.

http://www.wjbdradio.com/index.php?f=news_single&id=28126