(The Center Square) – A potential strike is looming for Illinois Department of Transportation workers.
The Teamsters union has not announced a strike date, though workers overwhelmingly authorized a strike. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Teamsters are one of the only unions state agencies don’t have a deal with.
“The vast majority of people in state government are covered by union contracts that we signed and agreed upon,” Pritzker said.
The Illinois Department of Central Management Services and the Teamsters have been negotiating for months. The governor said he hopes there will be an agreement before an actual strike.
“It’s a little unclear what will ultimately happen. We, the CMS, has put an offer on the table, an offer that is an increase in wages, that offers them good health care benefits,” Pritzker said.
In addition, IDOT is facing an unfair labor practice charge. Teamsters Local 916 is accusing IDOT of monitoring and surveilling workers. The move comes just days after Teamsters across the state voted to authorize a strike.
Pritzker said he does not know if there will be a strike or when a deal might get done.
“My hope is that they will come to an agreement, but I can’t guarantee it,” he said. “And I don’t think people will have their lives interrupted if there were a strike. Having said that, I can’t guarantee that that is a choice that these union leaders are making.”
The current contract between the Teamsters and the state expired last July. The two sides have been negotiating since April of last year.
