Democrats in the Illinois legislature approved legislation Thursday to require arbitration for union contract disputes.
The state's biggest public employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, supports changing the process. Contract negotiations between AFSCME and Governor Bruce Rauner's office have stalled. Democratic Senator Don Harmon of Oak Park, says the legislation would help both sides get a deal done.
"It would create the incentive to stay at the table and to negotiate a fair deal between the parties. So we may disagree on the bill and its methods, but the net is the same: that the parties stay at the table."
The legislation now heads to the governor, who previously vetoed an identical plan and is expected to do so again. Rauner says it would give workers richer health care and wage benefits, tantamount to a $3 billion tax hike.
Under the proposal, disputes would go to the a mutually agreed arbitration panel instead of the Labor Relations Board.
