Labor Board Compliance Officer issues order on step increases

An Illinois Labor Relations Board Compliance Officer has issued an order in the matter of the state employee step increases frozen by Governor Rauner in 2015.

AFSCME challenged the freeze and won an appellate court ruling directing the ILRB to shape a remedy that would restore the step increases. A Labor Board Compliance Officer was charged with developing the specific steps needed to comply. Yesterday the Compliance Officer issued a "Compliance Order Directing a Hearing" which provides:

• By October 1, 2018 all employees are to be placed on the steps they would be on if step progression had continued from July 1, 2015 to the present.
• The Rauner Administration must provide a report on the money each employee would have earned had step progression remained in effect, including the amounts they would have earned due to overtime and the amount of interest they are owed at 7% per year;
• The Administration must also provide information to the Board on its claim of "insufficient funds" to pay back wages owed for step increases for FY 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; and
• The Rauner Administration must post the Board Notice at worksites throughout the State which says the Administration violated the law and which lists the steps they have to take to fix that violation.

The order sets a hearing before a Labor Board administrative law judge on "all disputed issues" which will take place after the production of all of the records and documents required by the order which are due by October 1.