Illinois union strikes over ‘paltry’ 14.5 percent pay raise

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1028 in Will County, Ill., have turned up their noses at a taxpayer-funded pay-increase offer they view as too small — 14.5 percent.

“That gives an indication of just how out of touch government workers are,” said Steve Stanek, a research fellow with the Heartland Institute, in Illinois Watchdog. “I think they’ve become more radicalized and more out of touch as they have become more unionized.”
The 1,300 union members went on strike on Monday, calling the proposed increase “paltry,” Fox News reported.
Taxpayers also had offered to pay for 90 percent of the union members’ health insurance, Illinois Watchdog said.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/19/illinois-union-strikes-over-paltry-145-percent-pay/#ixzz2l7shGKgB

So an employee making $30 an hour is declining a 90% health insurance coverage and a $4.35 pay increase?One does not have to look hard to find waste in the government.  Another solid reason to keep them out of our healthcare.  It is time we eliminate unions from government.

I agree. Unions are past their prime.

Outerlimits wrote:

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1028 in Will County, Ill., have turned up their noses at a taxpayer-funded pay-increase offer they view as too small — 14.5 percent.

“That gives an indication of just how out of touch government workers are,” said Steve Stanek, a research fellow with the Heartland Institute, in Illinois Watchdog. “I think they’ve become more radicalized and more out of touch as they have become more unionized.”
The 1,300 union members went on strike on Monday, calling the proposed increase “paltry,” Fox News reported.
Taxpayers also had offered to pay for 90 percent of the union members’ health insurance, Illinois Watchdog said.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/19/illinois-union-strikes-over-paltry-145-percent-pay/#ixzz2l7shGKgB

So an employee making $30 an hour is declining a 90% health insurance coverage and a $4.35 pay increase?One does not have to look hard to find waste in the government.  Another solid reason to keep them out of our healthcare.  It is time we eliminate unions from government.

"The county has offered 4.5 percent COLA raises phased in over three years to Local 1028 employees, who have not had a COLA raise in four years. The COLA raises would come on top of 2.5 percent “step” increases workers get automatically for additional years of employment. Insurance payments would double for many employees as they shift from paying a flat percent of salary for coverage to paying about 10 percent of premium costs."
http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/news/23858016-418/afscme-strike-slows-will-county-government.html

“County employees pay one percent of their salaries for single coverage and two percent for family coverage,” a press release from Will County Executive Larry Walsh states. “The new plan calls for employees to cover an aggregate of 10 percent of the cost of their insurance.”

That means taxpayers still would guarantee 90 percent of the health insurance costs for workers.

Walsh’s office also notes that the county has offered 14.5 percent pay raises, both from a traditional wage increase and the union’s step increase that pays unionized workers more for being on the job longer.

But AFSCME Local 1028 rejected those offers, saying they are not “fair.”

“Will County employees want what all working people want: Fair pay and affordable health care,” Lindall said.

Stanek, from the Heartland Institute, isn’t buying that.

‘“When you finally do get elected officials to stand up to the government workers, you have a lot of people who think, wrongly, that their lives depend on these government workers,” Stanek said, adding that no one seems to be thinking about what is fair for the taxpayers.


http://watchdog.org/116705/touch-unionized-public-employees-strike-14-5-percent-raise/

That is probably true fsh, but if you read what Fox news wrote, it looks like the union will get a 14.5% increase now.

Your article broke it down somewhat but the fact of the matter is, no one is immediately getting a 14.5% increase with the offer.

It's too bad that people listen to Fox news and are over joyed with what they read, even if they don't really understand what they are reading.

What does Fox news have to do with this?

fshnski wrote:What does Fox news have to do with this?

Good question fsh, if you read the article from the Washington Times, it quotes Fox news as the source.

Achigan wrote:

fshnski wrote:What does Fox news have to do with this?

Good question fsh, if you read the article from the Washington Times, it quotes Fox news as the source.

Gotcha. I reread it.

In regards to your opinion of Fox. The reason why Fox's viewership is growing while other sources are declining is because people don't trust the other outlets anymore. Viewers can see with their own eyes that what they have been seeing and hearing from the MSM doesn't match with what has been happening in real life.

Good point fsh, I think both sides of the political media need improvements.

I agree. I base all my judgements on what makes sense to me. It was one of my life's major epiphanies when I realized the Democrats were moving further and further away from more and more things that I always thought made sense and things that I knew to be true. Now I think that my political beliefs might have helped us get into the mess this country is now in. I love my country and now I think I was wrong about what I did and how I felt politically for 40+ years.

fshnski wrote:I agree. I base all my judgements on what makes sense to me. It was one of my life's major epiphanies when I realized the Democrats were moving further and further away from more and more things that I always thought made sense and things that I knew to be true. Now I think that my political beliefs might have helped us get into the mess this country is now in. I love my country and now I think I was wrong about what I did and how I felt politically for 40+ years.

I don't completely agree fsh, but well said anyway.  

Achigan wrote: "The county has offered 4.5 percent COLA raises phased in over three years to Local 1028 employees, who have not had a COLA raise in four years. The COLA raises would come on top of 2.5 percent “step” increases workers get automatically for additional years of employment. Insurance payments would double for many employees as they shift from paying a flat percent of salary for coverage to paying about 10 percent of premium costs."
http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/news/23858016-418/afscme-strike-slows-will-county-government.html

Thanks for pointing this out Achigan.

My mistake, it wasn’t a 14.5% raise in one year, it was 14.5% over 3 years.  After doing a little poking around I found the article is clearly biased & leaves out crucial information such as the time-frame.  I believe it was an unneccisary exaggeration as one would still have to admit a 14.5% increase over 3 years is still astounding especially in this economy.   Also, an employer that pays 90% of health insurance premiums is unheard of.

Read the article again, OL. The COLA raises totaled 13.5% for 3 years after not getting a COLA raise for 4 years, therefore it is a raise of 13.5% over a 7 year period, or approximately 1.9% a year. The article also stated that health insurance premiums would be doubling for most employees because of a switch from a percent of salary to a flat 10% of the premium. That tells me that their salaries are not that large and the hike in health insurance premium would negate a significant portion of the salary hike. As far as the steps go, I see that as just a delay in getting to the top of one's pay scale. Many occupations, like teaching, are set up in such a structure where the employee doesn't get to the top of the pay scale until after 20 years. The article says that the union president is trying to get the county administration to mediation, and I wonder why that hasn't been done already. The fiscal health of the county has to be taken into consideration, and Illinois has not been a state of long term fiscal responsibility.

So, is a contract that results in 1.9% raises annually over a 7 year period and a doubling of health insurance premiums for most fair?

That's a matter that has to be worked out.

It isn’t fair at all News Buzzard. It is not fair to the taxpayers.

The average wage increase over the past 10 years is 4.2%

The proposed wage increase for this union is 14.5 over 7 years. (You must compound the increases.)

The average private sector employee pays 21% of the premium for a single plan and 32% for a family plan.

The proposed health insurance for this union is capped at 10%.

If they don’t like their deal, nobody is forcing them to work there. They are free to negotiate terms in the free market.

Your last response is much different than your first, OL. You originally interpreted an article to state that the union was getting a 14.5% raise for 1 year, and you speculated an increase for a person making $30 an hour (or $62,400 a year)

Your last post is much more realistic and gets down to the nitty-gritty! That's why there are functions like mediation and arbitration.

The bias in reporting, either way, is incredible!

And either way, no one in the private sector is getting those kind of raises and it is time the unions drop their death hold on this country.

WHL wrote:And either way, no one in the private sector is getting those kind of raises and it is time the unions drop their death hold on this country.

The only ones in the private sector getting terrific raises are the CEOs of corporations and other 1 percenters, where the majority of income and wealth gains is going these days. The top 1 percent very cleverly have the rest of us fighting with each other!!

Yeah the top 1 percent are Nancy Pelosi and friends..

News Buzzard wrote:The only ones in the private sector getting terrific raises are the CEOs of corporations and other 1 percenters, where the majority of income and wealth gains is going these days. The top 1 percent very cleverly have the rest of us fighting with each other!!

Your almost there big guy.   You have identified a symptom, can diagnose the cause?

In a free market, consumers purchase the products they want and need.  Those who have the best ideas make the best stuff and provide the best service…get rich.  Now those that vilify these people, well they are just jealous and pathetic.

In a society that employs corporatism, products are services are mandated.  Corporations and individuals with the power to influence lawmakers and get rich off manipulating the free market at the expense of the taxpayers and working folk are exactly what is wrong today.

If you want to vilify those guys, I am right with you brother.