AFSCME members picket over raise cancellation
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[AFSCME members in Harrisburg joined their colleagues statewide Tuesday in protest of Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to cancel contractual raises for state employees.
Several picketers gathered Tuesday afternoon in front of Illinois Youth Center-Harrisburg to decry the governor's decision. They waved signs and tried to raise awareness of the union's position - canceling the pay raises breaks a promise and the governor's decision amounts to union busting.
Quinn has contended there is not enough in the budget approved by the General Assembly to make payroll for the entire budget year, so 2 percent raises have to be deferred. Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees say they deserve to have what is in their union contract.
AFSCME members have deferred two pay raises already and made several other concessions to help with the state budget problems, AFSCME staff representative Ty Petersen said.
"But still (Quinn) wants to attack those people who make the state operate every day instead of having a discussion of the state budget during the spring legislative session," Milligan said.
If the legislature and Q uinn had agreed on a balanced budget in the spring, that budget would've included the raises that are guaranteed to state employees, Petersen said.
Local President Randy Milligan said the union members on the picket line at IYC are trying to do their part to make Southern Illinois a better place to live by fighting for better wages and treatment.
"Unions are what make this a better place to live," Milligan said.
Milligan pointed out the union is about to enter contract negotiations with the governor's office.
"How do you go to the table with a man who just walked all over this (contract)," Milligan said.