Rauner Trolls State Workers Union With New Jobs Website As Strike Looms

By aaroncynic in News on Feb 28, 2017 11:14PM

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office unveiled a new website Tuesday to “streamline” the hiring process for state workers in the event of a strike by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

“We genuinely hope AFSCME leadership will choose not to strike against taxpayers and work with us on implementing common-sense proposals like overtime after 40 hours, not 37.5,” Rauner General Counsel Dennis Murashko said in a statement published by Capitol Fax. “However, we must be prepared to continue government operations and provide services that citizens deserve and expect.”

AFSCME is the largest union of state workers, representing some 38,000 employees in departments and offices across Illinois. Last week, more than 81 percent of its membership cast votes to strike amid a contract fight with the state. Among other things, the governor is seeking to institute merit pay, volunteers, to bump the hours in which overtime pay begins from 37.5 to 40, and changes in health care benefits.

The new website, dubbed “working for a better Illinois” is nothing more than a place to put in contact information along with selecting a job category and locations an “applicant” might want to work in. On filling it out, users are told their information “will be reviewed in relation to the State’s needs in the counties and functions that you specified. The State will contact you if a suitable position exists.”

As political trolling goes, it’s one hell of a way to ire up tens of thousands of workers who’ve been in a contract dispute for entirely too long.

“AFSCME members investigate child abuse, care for veterans and the disabled, respond to emergencies and more,” the union said in a statement. “These jobs require years of experience and training. For Governor Rauner to seek temporary strikebreakers in place of skilled and dedicated professionals is a recipe for disaster for the people of Illinois.”