Retired State Employees Contacted By Rauner Administration About Working In Event Of A Strike
(CBS) -- As a contract extension is slated to expire Friday, the state's largest government employee union says the Rauner administration is making moves to counter a strike or lockout.
Council 31 for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, says some of their retirees have been getting calls from their old agencies - asking them if they'd want to come back for short-term work.
Cathy Corl of Lisle says she received such a call several weeks ago from the Department of Children and Family Services, where she retired as a supervisor three years ago.
"This came out of the blue and she was clearly expecting many openings, like all over the state," she said.
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She says the caller never mentioned a strike, but Corl says she was suspicious because of the long-term, large scale nature of the need for workers.
Council 31 Spokesman Anders Lindall says they've never gone on strike - or been locked out - in 40 years they've represented state workers and says this behavior of actively recruiting strike breakers is a sign that the Rauner administration is preparing to "disrupt state government".
A Rauner spokeswoman tells WBBM "we are actively pursuing all options to continue important state services in the event that AFSCME chooses to strike, rather than agree to proposals similar to those recently ratified by the Teamsters."
Lindall says negotiation sessions are slated for today, tomorrow and Wednesday.
A month-long contract extension that the Rauner administration agreed to after AFSCME's contract expired on June 30 will run out on Friday.
