March 23, 2018 Illinois Supreme Court Rejects Rauner Appeal on Steps Illinois Supreme Court rejects the governor’s appeal of a case AFSCME won at a lower court requiring the payment of step increases. Read More
March 07, 2018 Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court case threatens worker freedom and safety The Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 Supreme Court case threatens worker freedom and safety. Just ask Council 31 member Randy Clover. Read More
February 13, 2018 We Mourn the Passing of Sister Pamela Knight We mourn the loss of Sister Pamela Knight, a child protection investigator for the state of Illinois. The Council 31 member died after being attacked while doing her job. Read More
February 07, 2018 Public Service Workers to Supreme Court: Don’t Silence Our Voices AFSCME and other public-service unions urge the Supreme Court not to silence the voices of workers. Read More
November 02, 2017 Violent Assaults on Staff Increasing in Illinois Prisons, Youth Centers Assaults on staff in state correctional facilities have increased by 51 percent in the last two years. Read More
October 04, 2017 IL Child Protection Investigator Attacked on the Job An Illinois child protection investigator, and a member of Council 31, was brutally attacked on the job and is in a coma. Read More
August 07, 2017 Springfield Housing Authority Workers Fight for Fair Wages, Better Contract The fight for a fair contract continues at the Springfield, Ill., Housing Authority. Read More
July 19, 2017 A Game Show Jackpot Will Change His Life – But Not His Public-Service Job Why were Illinois sanitation worker Delvar Dopson and his wife competing on the NBC show “The Wall,” and what will they do with the jackpot they won? Bet you can’t guess. Read More
July 12, 2017 Illinois Finally Has a State Budget Walking back from the brink of fiscal chaos, Illinois finally has a state budget after two years of operating without one. Read More
July 07, 2017 What Janus v. AFSCME is Really About The leader of AFSCME Council 31 in Illinois explains what the Illinois-based case Janus v. AFSCME is really about. Read More
June 20, 2017 AFSCME Offers Solutions to Struggling Chicago Cabbies Small business owners who own and operate taxis in Chicago face unfair competition with rideshare operators like Uber and Lyft. A new report by Cab Drivers United/AFSCME Local 2500 offers solutions to help save taxi service in the Windy City. Read More
April 21, 2017 New Study Shows “Right-to-Work” Laws Harm Workers Recent “right-to-work” laws in the Midwest set the stage for a kind of regional experiment that is helping us answer an important question: What’s the impact of “right-to-work” laws on a state’s workforce? Read More
March 06, 2017 Mountain Climber at Work and Outside is Latest Never Quit Winner Never Quit Service Award winner Amy Biegler personifies the can-do attitude that makes her the champion she is, both on the job and on the mountain – Mount Kilimanjaro, to be precise. Read More
February 23, 2017 Illinois State Employees Vote to Authorize Strike In the first-ever strike authorization vote, 81 percent of Illinois state workers voted to give their bargaining committee the authority to call a strike if necessary. Read More
February 17, 2017 Good News on Pay for Illinois Public Service Workers A judge in Illinois has given state employees reason to breathe easier – for now. Read More
February 13, 2017 Playing Politics with a Child’s Life In Illinois, politics could imperil an infant’s life. Read More
February 09, 2017 Could IL Public Service Workers Go on Strike? Will Illinois public service employees go on strike? Thousands of workers have until February 19 to decide. Read More
January 25, 2017 Cabbie by Day, Foodie by Night Cab Drivers United/AFSCME Local 2500 member Cheryl Miller got a mouthwatering role in the new Travel Channel series “Driven by Food.” Read More
December 21, 2016 Illinois Prison Workers Play Santa for Homeless Families Local 1866 chose to be nice, rather than naughty, and give gifts to those less fortunate. Read More
November 27, 2016 AFSCME Supports Rallying Airport Workers On Nov. 29, let's stand with airport workers across the country who are demanding $15 an hour and better working conditions. Read More
October 18, 2016 Council 31 Members’ Message for Rauner: Come Back to the Table Illinois Council 31 members are featured in an ad asking the governor to bargain with them. Read More
September 22, 2016 Standing Strong in Illinois An anti-worker governor is trying to silence Illinois state employees, but they aren’t backing down. Read More
May 31, 2016 AFSCME Sanitation Worker Goes Viral A smile, a wave, a cupcake and a friendship that went viral. Read More
May 26, 2016 Over 10,000 Rally in Illinois, Demanding Governor Rauner Stop His Hostage-Taking Chanting “Stop hurting our state!” thousands rallied at the Illinois Capitol to protest Governor Rauner’s harmful inaction. Read More
April 20, 2016 Illinois Direct Support Personnel Push for a Pay Raise The Illinois public service workers who provide care to thousands of children and adults with developmental disabilities are fighting for a living wage. Read More
December 28, 2015 Taking Back Our Union: Here's How We're Growing Stronger For the first time in more than 30 years, Chicago cab drivers have a union — a driver-led AFSCME local chartered with the goal of solving tough problems that range from burdensome revenue-raising regulations to police harassment. Read More
December 22, 2015 Thousands Rally for Fairness Across Illinois Thousands of AFSCME members and retirees sent a loud and boisterous message to Gov. Bruce Rauner this month: Anti-worker agendas have no place in Illinois. Read More
December 04, 2015 Cab Drivers United/AFSCME Local 2500 Chartered A little over a year after a few Chicago cab drivers approached Council 31 about getting a union, Cab Drivers United/AFSCME Local 2500 received its official charter and local number. Read More
September 30, 2015 Gov. Rauner Threatens to Stop Health Care Payments llinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has taken the fight over a new state budget to a new low: He’s stopped making payments to doctors, hospitals and others that provide health care to people covered by the state’s insurance plan. Read More