October 20, 2008

Nearly 1,000 state public service administrators throughout Illinois voted 2-1 to become proud members of Council 31. But it took a year before they could declare victory.

In September 2007, their ballots were impounded over disputes about who should be covered by the collective bargaining law. Once that was settled, their vote to join AFSCME over another union was announced earlier this month.

“It’s a day that many people thought would never come,” says Marcia Heitz, a child protection manager employed by the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. “We look forward to the protection of an AFSCME contract and knowing that our pension and health care will be protected. I don’t have to stand by and be treated unfairly.”

Public service administrators (PSAs) such as Heitz work primarily for the departments of Children & Family Services, Human Services, Public Health and Aging. They had been classified as merit-compensation employees, meaning they did not receive the same pay raises as union members or have the job protections provided by the AFSCME contract.

“AFSCME is pleased to welcome these dedicated public servants into our union family,” says Henry Bayer, executive director of Council 31 and an International vice president. “Now more than ever, state employees know they need the strength, expertise and experience of AFSCME as their representative. We are proud to be the leader for state employees, and proud to stand and fight for them and the essential public services they provide.”

 AFSCME represents some 40,000 Illinois state workers—ranks that have swelled in recent years as hundreds of PSAs have joined Council 31 to improve their working conditions and job security.

Another 1,700 PSAs, in various other state agencies, also cast representation votes in two separate elections earlier this year. Because of state challenges, the votes have not been counted and it is not clear when that will happen.

Read more about the PSA’s victory in The State Journal-Register of Springfield and this AFL-CIO Now blog post.