A contract impasse between Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and public sector workers has turned bitter

A contract impasse between Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and public sector workers has turned bitter, with Rauner turning to the state labor board to force through an arbitration bill. The state’s contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) expired in June 2015. “An AFSCME statement says that in asking the Illinois Labor Relations Board to declare the contract at impasse, Rauner is seeking to unilaterally impose demands ‘including doubling what employees must pay for health care, freezing their wages for four years and eliminating protections that prevent irresponsible privatization schemes.’”