Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year contract with the state that will give them raises of 15.25 percent over the life of the pact.
AFSCME said 93 percent of union members voted in favor of the agreement over the past two weeks. Actual vote figures were not available Friday, said AFSCME spokesman Linc Cohen. The union represents about 37,000 state employees.
“The resounding affirmative vote for this contract is an indication that union members believe it is a fair settlement that will help provide economic prosperity at a time when the cost of living is steadily rising,” AFSCME Executive Director Henry Bayer said in a written statement.
In another written statement, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said, “I am pleased to see that AFSCME members have ratified this contract. This is a fair contract for taxpayers and state workers.”
The administration did not respond to additional questions about how much the contract will cost. Previously, it said the state’s cost in the first year is about $16 million.
The contract calls for workers to pay more for health insurance, but the increases are far less than what the Blagojevich administration initially demanded in negotiations. Workers will pay $6 more per month for health insurance premiums and a $50 deductible for prescription drugs.
AFSCME said the administration initially demanded that families pay $600 a year more for health insurance premiums, a $300 deductible for prescription drugs, and an $11 to $13 increase in prescription drug co-payments.
AFSCME didn’t say what the administration initially proposed for pay raises, but said they amounted to “virtually nothing.” What the union got was a series of raises that kick in every six months over the life of the contract.
On a calendar year basis, the raises come to 4 percent in 2009, 4 percent in 2010 and 6 percent in 2011. Workers will get a 1.25 percent increase on January 1, 2012. The contract expires on June 30 of that year and employees could get more under a new labor agreement.
Many workers also are entitled to “step increases” based on longevity. Those increases are in addition to across-the-board raises and generally are handed out on an employee’s anniversary date. Although step increases vary among the multiple pay grades used in state government, the union said those increases generally fall in the 3.5 to 4 percent range.
The contract does not require workers to pay more for their pensions, an initial demand by the administration. It also continues to provide free health care benefits for people who retire from the state with 20 or more years on the job.
