Union seeks to block strike, impose givebacks on Rockford, Illinois school employees
By
George Gallanis
21 February 2017
On February 10, the Illinois American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 reported that 900 bus drivers, paraprofessionals and food service workers employed by the Rockford Public Schools (RPS) were “as close as they could be” to striking.
Contract negotiations with the school district, located 90 miles northwest of Chicago, began in June 2016. While there is a strong sentiment among RPS workers to strike, AFSCME is doing everything it can to smother it and force workers to accept a sellout contract.
In January, the Rockford Public Schools Board of Education voted and passed its “last, best and final” contract, which includes derisory raises and a sharp increase in health insurance premiums. The contract is in full effect and legally binding, although RPS officials say they are willing to continue negotiations with AFSCME Local 692, AFSCME Local 1275 and AFSCME Local 3210.
District officials have been emboldened by Republican Illinois governor, Bruce Rauner, who unilaterally imposed a new concessions contract on roughly 38,000 state workers, also AFSCME members, last November.
Under the previous contract terms in Rockford, a bus driver hired in 2013, and starting at $11.41 an hour, would have made $13.54 an hour in 2017, an increase of $2.13 over four years. Under the new contract, these workers will be bumped up to $14 an hour, meaning they would have received a de facto raise of $2.59 over four years.
The rate of annual pay increases, however, will decrease significantly from now on. Under the new contract, after four years bus drivers will receive a 37 cent pay increase. To reach the same increase…