Rauner eyes end of 'fair share' dues for teachers' unions - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL

Rauner eyes end of 'fair share' dues for teachers' unions - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL:

Rauner eyes end of 'fair share' dues for teachers' unions

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday said he wants to end fair share dues for teachers’ unions in the state.

Speaking to the Citizens Club of Springfield, the governor said he thinks his steps to end union dues for state employees who are not members — more commonly known as “fair share” dues — should extend to teachers’ unions, but he would “deal with that later.” Union leaders objected to Rauner’s statement and called it an attack on the working class.

Rauner said he’s heard from union members who tell him to keep up the fight against fair share dues. Illinois Education Association President Cinda Klickna said in a statement the idea that a majority of union members would work against the organizations is ridiculous.

“It is interesting that the only teacher voices the governor seems to hear are those of the tiny number who don't wish to pay their fair share, while he ignores the overwhelming majority of teachers and education support professionals who choose to belong to a union,” she said.

Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery said the governor was wasting his time on an “illegal” plan.

“He’s not really addressing the issues we have in Illinois and he’s trying to blame working people and divert people’s attention from real problems to attacking unions,” Montgomery said. “It’s kind of tiresome at this point and frustrating.”

The Republican governor signed an executive order in February halting fair share dues while simultaneously filing a lawsuit challenging them in court.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, issued a statement after the signing that said Comptroller Leslie Munger — a Republican appointed by Rauner — was not bound by the order. Munger said she’d “defer to the guidance” of Madigan and declined to hold the fees.

Rauner then instructed individual agencies to hold the fees in escrow. A St. Clair County judge issued an order requiring the agencies to collect the dues on April 10. The governor announced a deal with unions the next day to allow for the collection of dues while the litigation moves forward.

In his address to the Citizens Club, Rauner said unions controlled the schools, causing political conflicts of interest in negotiations.

“We have conflicts of interest in our government that involve (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers, Service Employers International Union) and the teacher’s union,” he said. “If our schools are owned and controlled by the teacher’s union rather than the taxpayers and the families and the kids and the parents, that’s not right for our schools.”Rauner eyes end of 'fair share' dues for teachers' unions - News - The State Journal-Register - Springfield, IL: