SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker announced a $700 million cut Tuesday to his executive branch's agencies – just a tiny portion of what it will take to fill a $3.9 billion shortfall in the state's budget. But Pritzker's announcement did not set well with the AFL-CIO, which represents a significant number of state employees.
Pritzker has not yet laid off state workers – as so many non-government workers have suffered through due to the COVID pandemic – but the union that represents those workers is outraged that he's making budget cuts.
“We join AFSCME in opposing state budget cuts that place the burden on the backs of public employees who are on the frontlines of our collective fight against COVID-19," an AFL-CIO press statement said late Tuesday afternoon.
The union then turned to blast Illinois voters that in November rejected Pritzker's graduated tax plan.
"We were strong supporters of the Fair Tax initiative as a way to provide needed revenue to support the vital state services and programs we all depend on, and that have proven even more important during the pandemic. Our state has suffered for too long with revenue shortfalls, and these now are producing very real and painful choices that will devastate the very hard-working, middle-income families we all depend on," the statement signed by Tim Drea, president of the IL AFL-CIO and Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer, said.
"We stand ready to work with our union partners and our leaders in Springfield on solutions that spare this pain for working families and address the state’s revenue shortfall responsibly and fairly.”
There was no mention in the statement of the next hike in the state-mandated minimum wage hike that will go into effect in January.
