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Community Corner

Will County Government is open for business despite Strike by AFSCME Local 1028

JOLIET-- Will County Executive Larry Walsh assured residents that Will County government was open for business and ready to serve their needs despite a strike by the County’s union workforce represented by AFSCME Local 1028.  Executive Walsh and the Will County Board have been working for over 15 months to avert a work stoppage by the union, but could not reach an agreement.

 

“I have said throughout these negotiations that a strike is not good for anyone; no one wins with a strike,” said Executive Walsh.  “I was very disappointed to learn that AFSCME employees who claimed they too wanted to avoid a strike wore red stickers throughout all of our recent negotiation sessions that proudly proclaimed their readiness to strike,” said Walsh.  “I had hoped they would have spent their time and energy on bringing a more realistic proposal on health care and wages to the bargaining table.”

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Walsh and the county's negotiation team have been meeting with AFSCME Local 1028 for over 15 months, the last 5 months with the aid of a federal mediator, and the main sticking point remains increased health care costs and wage increases.  The county returned to the bargaining table after giving its best and final offer, at the request of the federal mediator, in a good faith effort to avoid a strike.  However, the union has demonstrated an unwillingness to accept the county’s budgetary limitations and has continued its push for hirer wages.

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“We have a fiscal responsibility to all of the Will County residents to balance the wants of our union employees with the needs of all the residents,” said Walsh.  “We must balance the budget and not spend money that we do not have.”

 

Walsh noted that there has been a considerable amount of misinformation put out by AFSCME Local 1028 – such as the claims that their members have not received pay increase for the last four years when in fact they have continued to receive 2.5 percent wage step increased in each of those years.  He hoped that the general public would take a look at the facts and realize that the proposal the County leaders have presented to Local 1028 which insures that all AFSCME-represented employees receive wage increases that more than offset any increase in health insurance premiums the employees will be asked to pay is more than fair and should be approved by the union so that their members can return to work and resume receiving their paychecks and health insurance.

 

 

“The first casualty of many political campaigns, and union negotiations, is the truth,” said Walsh.  “I am truly disappointed in the personal attacks and other misinformation that has been released to the public during the past several months.  I hope that we can get past all of this negativity and get our workers back to their jobs and all the services to Will County residents returned to normal.”

 

Walsh thanked the many County employees who have worked hard to prepare for a possible strike and said he has confidence in all of the elected officials, department heads, and other county staff who will continue to provide quality and friendly services to Will County residents during the strike.  

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