AFSCME Withholds Approval of Agreement With Illinois Until Back Pay Issue Is Resolved

CHICAGO—A dispute over $140 million in unpaid back pay is holding up final approval of a ratified collective bargaining agreement between Illinois and Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees representing 35,000 state employees, sources told BNA April 26.

In a memo to its membership, AFSCME said it had informed Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) that the union’s leadership would not sign the new contract without additional consultations with the state and further authorization from its membership. The union said it would convene a meeting of the negotiating committee April 29 to consider various options ...