Staff at the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago voted overwhelmingly to form their union—the Art Institute of Chicago Workers United—with AFSCME Council 31 in mail-ballot elections tallied January 11 and 12.
"We are heartbroken at the loss of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator and AFSCME member Deidre Silas of Springfield, murdered Tuesday while responding to a report of children in danger."
On December 29 Arbitrator Edwin Benn ruled against AFSCME members in the interest arbitration regarding the State’s plan to require COVID vaccinations for employees in IDOC and IDJJ.
Positive cases of COVID-19 are surging in Illinois at a time when family and friends gather for the holidays. IDPH is offering opportunities for residents to get tested, vaccinated or boosted in their communities.
Members of the Art Institute of Chicago Workers United (AICWU) are seeking the union difference with AFSCME. Their union vote is now underway, with mail-in ballots due in early January. This inspiring video captures the spirit of their organizing drive.
A yearlong fight to save Rock Island’s public water service ended in victory for the public works employees of AFSCME Local 988 when the city in September announced it would drop plans to privatize.
AFSCME Local 981 members at Eastern Illinois University fought long and hard to win a new union contract that protects their jobs and increases their wages.
Growth is one of AFSCME Council 31’s most vital missions. Seeking the union difference, more than 1,500 workers have organized with AFSCME Council 31 since March 2020.
Employees of the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC, the museum) and the School of the Art Institute (SAIC, the college) took another big step toward forming their union when they filed representation petitions with the National Labor Relations Board.
With the theme of Better Together, AFSCME Council 31’s 22nd biennial convention focused on all that has been achieved through solidarity over the last two years—and the importance of staying united to overcome the challenges ahead.
This memorial video of AFSCME members who we have lost since our last convention in 2019 was aired at convention on October 15, 2021 and includes a beautiful performance by Renee Barnes who is on the staff of our international union.
AFSCME members have been on the front lines of this pandemic since Day One and we’re still going strong. Don’t miss this video that premiered at the Council 31 convention on October 16.
Three Child Protection Specialists in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services share their stories of protecting the well-being of vulnerable children despite the risks to their own health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miley Worker is winner of a national 2021 AFSCME Family Scholarship and the daughter of AFSCME Council 31 Executive Board member and Local 993 President Tim Worker.
