Illinois state House Republicans blocked an attempt last week by the Democrat majority to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 1229.
The bill would have changed the way lllinois negotiates with labor unions in cases of alleged negotiation impasses. The measure also would have implemented interest arbitration as a preferred method, for four years, for the state to negotiate with most of its organized workers.
The bill was considered a pathway for the state's largest union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), to bypass the collective bargaining process and use interest arbitration to impose a labor-management contract on the state.
AFSCME’s contract offer, which could have been adopted in its entirety under interest arbitration, could have resulted in an increase of $1.6 billion in salary costs and an additional $700 million in health care costs over the next four years.
After a veto by Rauner, SB 1229 was returned to the General Assembly for a possible override as provided for in the state Constitution. A three-fifths vote in both houses of the Legislature is required to override the governor's veto.
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