[Peace-discuss] Unions set to oppose council move backing Rauner changes

Mon Apr 27 13:48:36 EDT 2015

Unions set to oppose council move backing Rauner changes

Description: Gov. Bruce Rauner

Gov. Bruce Rauner fields questions April 20, 2015, regarding the nonprofit
Chicago Public Education Fund's connection to a no-bid Chicago Public
Schools contract being investigated by federal prosecutors. (Nancy Stone,
Chicago Tribune)

By
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/chi-suzanne-baker-20150126-staff.html
> Suzanne Baker and
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/chi-susan-carlman-staff.html> Susan
Frick Carlman Naperville Sun
<mailto:subaker at tribpub.com?subject=Regarding%20Unions%20set%20to%20oppose%2
0council%20move%20backing%20Rauner%20changes> contact the reporter

Gov. Bruce Rauner's "Turnaround Agenda" has no place in local policy, union
leaders say

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/chicago-suburbs/naperville-CHIS0050-top
ic.html> Naperville City Council members will be asked Tuesday evening to
support key provisions of Illinois Gov.
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics-government/government/bruce-ra
uner-PEPLT0009070-topic.html> Bruce Rauner's "Turnaround Agenda" - and not
to.

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-council-pr
eview-st-0419-20150419-story.html> Description: Mayor and council poised for
final meeting together

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-council-pr
eview-st-0419-20150419-story.html> Mayor and council poised for final
meeting together 

The City Council will take up a resolution that endorses repeal of the
state's prevailing wage laws and transfer of some state-level functions to
local authorities, such as decisions involving collective bargaining. The
measure, opposed by area labor organizations, also takes aim at unfunded
state mandates, gives local government a stronger voice in pension reform
and pushes for cost-cutting changes in workers compensation laws.

"It was reformed in 2011 but it has not resulted in savings to businesses
that everyone thought it would," said City Manager Doug Krieger, who crafted
the resolution and called it a "much-abbreviated" version of the governor's
priorities.

The edited policy stance represents provisions that already have been
reviewed and supported by the City Council as part of the current year's
lineup of legislative priorities. Krieger said the revision was made at the
request of council member and Mayor-elect Steve Chirico.

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-rauner-uni
on-protest-st-0422-20150420-story.html> lRelated
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-dupage-fish-sto
ck-st-0422-20150420-story.html> Description: Naperville Scout starts project
to honor late mentor

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-dupage-fish-sto
ck-st-0422-20150420-story.html> Naperville Sun

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-dupage-fish-sto
ck-st-0422-20150420-story.html> Naperville Scout starts project to honor
late mentor

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-rauner-uni
on-protest-st-0422-20150420-story.html> See all related

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-rauner-uni
on-protest-st-0422-20150420-story.html> 8

Union representatives don't see much to like in the proposal, which is
titled "A resolution in support of local government empowerment and reform."
Some workers' groups, including the Countryside-based unit of the Illinois
Union of Operating Engineers, are urging the rank and file to turn up and
sound off Tuesday.

"They let us know that they plan to have a presence here at the council
meeting," said city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche.

According to IUOE Local 150 spokesman Ed Maher, the unit is one of assorted
labor organizations in the state that are asking their members to educate
themselves on the agenda and let their local governments know what they
think.

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-district-2
03-budget-0419-20150418-story.html> Description: District 203 cuts could
make way for tech

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-district-2
03-budget-0419-20150418-story.html> District 203 cuts could make way for
tech 

"We've seen where boards will rubber-stamp this and later regret it, not
really knowing what it will mean," Maher said, predicting the legislation
would hurt local economies by taking money out of middle class families'
budgets. "When they become aware, when they see people from their
communities coming in and saying, 'This is going to harm my family, this is
going to take dollars out of the local tax base,' they see that it is not a
good thing."

The presidents of the Naperville Unit Education Association and the Indian
Prairie Education Association also are rallying their memberships to voice
opposition to the resolution.

In a message to the NUEA, which represents School District 203 teachers,
union President Mark Bailey called on every available Naperville resident to
attend the meeting.

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-rauner-uni
on-protest-st-0422-20150420-story.html> cComments 

<http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-rauner-uni
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"The draft endorses allowing local voters to (illegally) redefine collective
bargaining rights for any local unit of government (schools, parks, courts,
etc.). It also endorses limits on public workers' compensation and injury
claims," Bailey said in his message.

"Besides the fact that Rauner's plan is illegal, it is also fundamentally
unfair. It does not place limits on corporate tax giveaways, nor does it
limit the pay of executives (which is over 300 times worker pay, on average)
or government consultants.

"This illustrates that Rauner's agenda is not to save the state money. He
simply wants to make it easier for the rich to make more money at the
expense of everyone else."

A similar request is going out in the Indian Prairie School District 204.

"We have put out a call to action for our teachers to show up," said IPEA
President Paul Gamboa.

NUEA and IPEA back a counter resolution from the Labor Coalition, of which
Illinois Education Association and National Education Association are
members.

The counter resolution says the "creation of right to work (for less) zones,
repeal of prevailing wage requirements on construction projects and
elimination of standardized subjects of bargaining would create a 'race to
the bottom' that would reduce the pay of our community's workforce and,
therefore, harm the local businesses dependent upon local customers."

The Labor Coalition warns that right-to-work laws are the jurisdiction of
state, not local, government and a municipality could face legal challenges
if such an ordinance were enacted.

Maher echoed that thought, citing recent research that found labor expenses
represent 21 percent of the construction costs.

"Repealing the prevailing wage is just cutting wages. By pushing to cut
wages, you're targeting middle class families and taking food off their
table," he said.

Describing the resolution as "a false promise," Maher said it will face its
demise if people recognize what it is, and isn't.

"Things like right-to-work laws don't save anybody money," he said, noting
that some decision making bodies are opting not to act on the governor's
request. "It gets tabled. They say, 'We're not going to revisit this.'"

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