Through their union, AFSCME, human services employees spoke out against a push by the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) to close its office—known as a family community resource center—in Havana. Now the decision is being revisited.

Bruce Rauner is out the door. That’s good news for the countless Illinois citizens who were grievously harmed by his vengeance politics, especially the thousands of state employees who were the prime targets of his animus.

The US Supreme Court’s majority sided with the super-rich in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 on June 27. But AFSCME members know that our freedom to have a strong voice on the job is under assault—and they’re pledging to stick with their union.

Wrongly accused, AFSCME Local 424 member Jason Klingeman lost his job. With the union's help he was reinstated with back pay and benefits. “If it wasn’t for our union, I wouldn’t be here," he said. "We have an awesome union. I am 1,000 percent pleased.”

Bruce Rauner visited a campus of Western Illinois University—where hundreds of AFSCME Local 417 members work—on June 14. He failed to mention the damage he did to the WIU over the last three years.

For the first time since taking office, Gov. Rauner signed a full budget, on time, on June 4 after the General Assembly adopted it with strong bipartisan support on May 31.

After enactment of state budget, Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch sent a letter to Gov. Rauner calling on him “to immediately direct your agencies to prepare vouchers for the full amount of back wages owed to employees both active and retired.”

HB 4290, the bill providing funding for wages owed to state employees since 2011, passed out of the Illinois House of Representatives with a veto-proof majority on May 24 and out of the Senate with unanimous support on May 30.

“Illinois needs a leader like JB who will bring people together and who cares about working families,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said.

In the March 20 Illinois Primary Election, voters chose candidates best able to carry forward the fight in defense of workers’ rights in the November General Election. Union members made a big difference in these critical races!