CHICAGO – More than 100 Cook County Board of Review workers have won their first AFSCME contract, proving what happens when public service workers come together and speak up for one another.
The agreement was ratified by union members with more than 95% support and received final approval Thursday from Cook County commissioners.
Board of Review workers do the careful, public-facing work of reviewing property tax assessments and helping homeowners file appeals. It is the kind of work families depend on when they need a fair shake from the government.
Now, these workers are getting a fairer shake, too.
“Together in our union, Board of Review employees are securing greater fairness in the workplace,” said AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch, who’s also an AFSCME vice president.
For too long, Board of Review workers were paid less than other county workers doing important public service. Their first contract helps fix that with a $2,500 bonus, a 2% pay increase on June 1, and a 4% raise on Dec. 1. Workers with six or more months of seniority will also receive a $1,000 retention bonus.
That is the union difference in plain terms: better pay, more respect, and a real voice on the job.
Board of Review workers now join more than 4,000 Cook County workers in the health system, courts, public defender’s office, jail, and other vital public services as members of AFSCME.
Their union was certified in July 2024, and workers began negotiating together that November. The contract runs through Nov. 30, 2027.
By standing together, Board of Review workers did more than win a contract. They built power, strengthened public service, highlighted the union difference and showed other workers what is possible in AFSCME.