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Union leaders urge Jones to vote on measure to ban mandatory overtime
By Kenneth Lowe
Kenneth.lowe@lee.net
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SPRINGFIELD — Union leaders and state senators Thursday urged the Senate leader to allow a vote on a measure to ban mandatory overtime for state workers.

Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees’ Illinois chapter, spoke at a press conference along with union members and state senators at the Capitol to unveil a union report on compulsory overtime among state employees.

The union says $66 million in overtime pay was doled out to employees in the Department of Corrections, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Human Services.

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said the report is drawn from the testimony of dozens of state employees.

“We solicited to actual frontline employees,” Lindall said. “You’re hearing in their own words the actual scope of the problem.”

Bayer said that while some mandatory overtime is appropriate in some cases, the state has been relying on it far too much and has worn out employees as a result.

“When our members came to work for the state of Illinois, they signed up for public service, not servitude,” Bayer said.

Bayer said the measure does not prohibit overtime — it only bans the state from forcing employees to work overtime on penalty of disciplinary action.

Derek Schnapp, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said the argument is something that ought to come up in contract negotiations.

“We feel there’s already a process for that,” he said.

Bayer would not comment on whether or not the overtime situation will be an issue in forthcoming contract negotiations.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said the senators would ask Senate President Emil Jones to call the measure for a vote. The House approved the measure 108-2 in April.

State Sen. John Jones, R-Mount Vernon, said the situation causes undue danger for employees.

“Somebody is going to be seriously hurt in one of these institutions … and we’re going to pay the price for it,” John Jones said.

The legislation is House Bill 5661.

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Reader comments on this story - 2 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

What The Hey wrote on May 9, 2008 7:12 AM:

" That's because our governments rush to add law upon law upon law for every issue that hits the news....................instead of enforcing the existing laws. "

OGS wrote on May 8, 2008 11:03 PM:

" Recent study show the USA has 5% of the worlds population and 25% of the prison population. "
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