Illinois Policy Institute Marketing Manager Eric Kohn | Contributed photo
Illinois Policy Institute Marketing Manager Eric Kohn | Contributed photo
The state's largest government-employee union is using delay-and-obstruct tactics in contract talks with state officials, and a recent restraining order issued by a friendly judge plays right into the union's hands, according to an analyst.
Illinois Policy Institute Marketing Manager Eric Kohn said during a recent edition of "Illinois Rising" that Gov. Bruce Rauner should take the state's case directly to the public.
Taking the case to St. Clair County also is part of the union's strategy to delay and obstruct proceedings, Eric Kohn said.
| File photo
"Make a stand here," Kohn said. "Make the case to the people of Illinois that we need to make a course change, that there's a reason they've been stalling, that they're wanting to run out the clock. It's because it's impossible to defend to good, upstanding people, the things that they are asking for and the trajectory the state has been on for at least 30 years, if not more. They can't defend that."
"Illinois Rising" is a presentation of the Illinois Policy Institute.
Kohn's observations came shortly after St. Clair County Circuit Judge Robert LeChien issued the temporary order Dec. 6 that blocked Rauner from imposing contract terms on the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME). Days earlier, AFSCME asked the court to stop Rauner from imposing his last best offer, which included a 100 percent increase in health premiums, a four-year pay freeze and provisions that would allow Rauner to outsource public services.
"Although temporary, this order sends a message to Gov. Rauner that he is not above the law," AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch was quoted as saying in a union press release. "Instead of sparking further conflict in the courts and at state worksites, Gov. Rauner should return to bargaining and work with us to find common ground."
The temporary order has been strongly criticized. LeChien was wrong to intervene on behalf of AFSCME, according to a Madison-St. Clair Record op-ed piece. Rauner has appealed the temporary order to the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
St. Clair County's reputation as a union-friendly venue factored into the decision to argue the case before LeChien, Kohn said.
"Rather than take it to an appellate court, which is a more traditional manner to take an appeal like this, they take it to a lower court, and they take it to Judge Robert LeChien, who is a bit of an interesting story himself," Kohn said. "So many of the judges there are incredibly friendly with the trial bar, have been incredibly friendly with the union-dominated politics there in St. Clair County."
Taking the case to St. Clair County also is part of the union's strategy to delay and obstruct proceedings, Kohn said.
"The way they've chosen to fight this, the way that it's been carried out over the last two years shows," Kohn said. "There's a reason that the labor board determined that they're at an impasse -- because they're at an impasse. There's no interest in coming together on a contract here."
This is evident by the demands the union is making, Kohn said.
"When you look at the demands for continually increasing salaries, increasing the share of health care payments that the taxpayers are picking up, when you look at some of the just baffling things to those of us people in the private sector -- the number of days that you can miss, just not show up, unexcused absences...how many times do you think your average employee at, you know, at McDonald's and CVS could do that and avoid being fired?" Kohn said.
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