Illinois no haven from debate over union rights

As neighboring states battle over the future of public employee labor unions, experts here in Illinois warn that the Land of Lincoln is not immune to the same pressures.

Wisconsin lawmakers voted to strip public employees of most collective bargaining rights on Thursday, ending a nearly monthlong stalemate through a political strategy that allowed Senate Republicans to bypass a walkout by Democrats.

It remains to be seen if legislators in states like Indiana and Ohio, which are dealing with similar bills, will follow Wisconsin's lead.

Union and business leaders in Illinois believe that despite a pro-union governor and legislature in charge of the state politically, sentiments could change as the state grapples with a $15 billion deficit and those labor union pensions remain underfunded. The Daily Herald asked a panel of experts to weigh in on some of the topics facing Illinois and unions as a result of these political battles.

Q. What's Illinois' stake in the debate going on in other states?

Anders Lindall, spokesman for the Illinois branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees: It's something much greater even than just the rights of working people to bargain collectively. This is really about the future of the middle class and nothing less. Over the last 30 years, union density in the private sector has declined and that has not been an accident. It's been a coordinated assault by corporate interests in the far right of the Republican Party. Now they are going after public employees.

Dan Proft, Illinois Policy Institute senior fellow: Illinois' stake is that we're the worst example. When it comes to untenable distribution of cost for health insurance, Illinois is under water. The difference in these states is that they have governors and state legislators who are intent on doing something about it. Illinois' governor and Democratic leaders are wholly owned subsidiaries of public employee unions.

Q. It's been called a ploy to disarm the Democratic Party by weakening unions. Do you agree?

Jack Roeser, Family Taxpayers Foundation executive director: Calling it a ploy implies it's insidious. We're in a terrible financial bind and putting it to the authors of this problem is only telling the truth. And there are Republicans who are responsible as well, though they're complicit suckers in this thing rather than instigators.

Martin Moylan, Des Plaines mayor and member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: I think that there is an organized effort to destroy unions.

Q. How responsible are unions for the financial woes faced by Wisconsin and other states, including Illinois?

Moylan, Des Plaines mayor and IBEW member: You can't balance the budget on the backs of the unions. The unions are not to blame for all the financial problems. It's a combination of events. Not only do unions keep the middle class solvent, they keep nonunion workers making a good dollar.

Roeser, Family Taxpayers Foundation: They are very responsible. They have taken over by being a highly partisan and powerful political bunch. By money they're collecting out of dues they are hiring politicians to do their will. Unions are trying to make villains out of people trying to correct a terrible wrong.

Q. What needs to be done so that both sides feel like they've gotten something?

Proft, Illinois Policy Institute: Both sides are getting something out of this. The public sector unions are getting what they were promised for the services they rendered. But on a go-forward basis it needs to change to recalibrate what the public sector can bear.

Lindall, AFSCME: The public employees of Wisconsin and their unions said time and again they're willing to work with the governor to achieve real budget savings. One can debate whether there's a real budget crisis or whether he created a phony crisis by giving tax breaks to corporations who gave to his campaign. But they've taken the budget issues off the table. Union workers are not going to give up their rights, freedoms or their voices.

Q. What should have been done to avoid getting to this point?

Kim Johnson, AFSCME DuPage chapter president: Being fair. When governors had a surplus they spent it instead of funding pensions properly.

John Schmitt, Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO: Everybody has 20/20 hindsight. We could have never foreseen this level of downturn prior to it happening. It cut deeper and went longer than anyone anticipated. What people have to do going forward is remember what has happened and negotiate and reach agreements that will hopefully protect us from something similar in the future.

Q. What advice do you have for either side?

Schmitt, Naperville Chamber: I think they need to work together and be concerned for the taxpayers and be careful not to write checks that people in the future will have to cash without the resources to do so. I think all parties have to accept a certain level of fault and blame for the situation we've gotten ourselves into.

Johnson, AFSCME DuPage: We have to get our message out. We have to be able to reach everyone.

Q. Who's winning?

Johnson, AFSCME DuPage: I would say the middle class. It's awakened a sleeping giant.

Proft, Illinois Policy Institute: The winner in this so far is the taxpayer because they finally have a seat at the table.

Schmitt, Naperville Chamber: It's a stalemate that's taking place. There's no winners. I don't want to see a civil war battle where both sides sit there and fire shots at each other. There has to be work toward a meaningful compromise.

Moylan, Des Plaines mayor and IBEW member: Public opinion is on the side of the public sector unions. It's awakened the middle classes. I saw a family of four up in Wisconsin with a sign that read, “Family's First Protest.” It's galvanizing a whole bunch of people.

Roeser, Family Taxpayers Foundation: There's no winner in this. We're all losers, but especially the taxpayers of Illinois.

Lindall, AFSCME: It has waked up workers all across the country to this corporate funded, right-wing assault. I think it's clearly invigorated the labor movement.