May 17--Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday vetoed a union-backed bill that sought to go around him in their ongoing contract dispute, saying it was an attempt to tie his hands and usurp his authority as the taxpayers' representative in negotiations.
It was the second time that Rauner has vetoed the legislation, which Democrats keep sending him at the behest of their union allies.
Rauner and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 are deadlocked over a contract to replace the one that expired in July. Rauner has asked the Illinois Labor Relations Board to determine whether negotiations have reached a stage that would allow him to stop the contract talks and impose his own terms on the state's largest employee union.
While the matter is under review at the labor board, Democrats in the legislature sent Rauner a bill that would let either side refer the dispute to an independent arbitrator. AFSCME favors that option because it would remove Rauner's ability to impose his own contract terms, and would bypass the state labor panel, which has its members appointed by the governor.
Rauner, in a statement accompanying his veto, blasted the bill as "a dangerous proposal."
"Taxpayers, through their elected officials, have an important, longstanding role in public labor negotiations," Rauner said. "My action today defends taxpayers who are being denied their voice at the bargaining table."
AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch said Rauner rejected the bill "because it would require him to be moderate and seek compromise."
"He wants his way or no way at all," Lynch said in a statement. "Public service workers in state government want better for the millions of citizens we serve."
Rauner vetoed an identical bill last summer, and House Democrats were unable to override him after a member of their razor-thin supermajority defected. It represented a big win for Rauner at the statehouse, where he and lawmakers are stalemated over a state budget.
The rogue member, Rep. Ken Dunkin, lost his re-election bid in the March Democratic primary despite receiving millions of dollars in campaign support from Rauner allies. But Dunkin is serving out the remainder of his term, meaning Democrats still lack the supermajority needed to override Rauner's latest veto.
Still, Rauner called on lawmakers to "resist the pressure to override."
Rauner and AFSCME have been at odds since before the governor took office. As a candidate, Rauner criticized state workers as overpaid and pledged that he would stand up to "government union bosses." AFSCME spent heavily against Rauner when he was running for governor. The union is a major donor to Democratic legislative leadership funds.
