State-Teamsters One Step Closer to Finalizing Agreement

Units Representing 4600 State Employees Sign On

SPRINGFIELD - All eligible units of the Teamsters union have signed onto a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with the state of Illinois. The current agreement expired June 30, 2015.

The state previously announced an agreement with Teamsters Local 700, which covered 300 state workers in Cook County. Today's announcement covers Teamsters throughout the state and increases the number of covered employees to 4,600. Members of the Teamsters will vote to ratify the agreement within the next few weeks.

"This agreement is good for taxpayers and good for state employees," Governor Bruce Rauner said. "We were able to reach an agreement with the Teamsters quickly because all parties negotiated in good faith, something we are committed to doing with all unions representing state employees."

The terms of the agreement include:

• Maintenance of the current level of health care benefits for employees and their dependents as part of the State's continued contributions to the independent Teamsters Local 727 Health & Welfare Fund.
• A four-year wage freeze, continuing the 75% in-hire rate.
• Continuation of a 40-hour work week.
• A new performance incentive program to reward employees with bonuses for cost-saving measures and meeting or exceeding performance metrics.
• A collaborative program that allows management and the Teamsters to work together to provide low-cost alternatives to outsourcing.
• A reduction in the payout for accumulated unused vacation from 75 to 45 days for employees hired after January 1, 2016.

• Teamsters Local 700 (Cook County highway maintainers): 300 members; agreement ratified by members.
• Teamsters Local 700 (Master Sergeants): 200 members; agreement ratified by members.
• Teamsters Local 330 (suburban group): 300 members; tentative agreement signed; members will hold ratification vote in the next few weeks.
• Teamsters Local 916 (Protech): 1100 members; tentative agreement signed; members will hold ratification vote in the next few weeks.
• Teamsters Downstate Illinois State Employee Negotiating Committee: 2700 members; tentative agreement signed; members will hold ratification vote in the next few weeks.