IDOT workers authorize strike amid contract negotiations
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) workers overwhelmingly authorized a strike Tuesday as they continue to demand a fair contract.
Teamsters Local Union 916 represents more than 4,000 IDOT workers across the state of Illinois. The Labor Union said 1,600 members voted and 96% authorized a strike.
IDOT employees say they have been "plagued by understaffing" as the amount of work grows with Rebuild Illinois infrastructure projects.
They’ve been without a contract since last summer, which is also around the time Governor Pritzker announced his $41 billion, 6-year infrastructure plan.
"Every region of our state is getting a much-needed upgrade and there’s much more to come," said Gov. Pritzker in July of 2023.
"We have the biggest program ever in the history of Illinois and we have half staff," said Randy Freeman, with the Teamsters Local 916. "We are losing a lot of our people to consultants that are paying them 20-30 percent more than what we are making. They are side-by-side with us making more money and we have to train them."
The Labor Union claims the government pays new hires extremely low wages within the federal poverty level.
This is the first time that the Professional Technical bargaining unit has conducted a Strike Authorization Vote. The Highway Maintainers have also never conducted a strike vote.
Over the weekend, 91% of the Highway Maintainers voted to strike.
"We’ve got some things to do yet and hopefully they will come to their senses and offer us a fair contract. That’s all we are asking for," said Freeman. "They are expecting our new employees to start out at $32,000 a year with a 2-year degree and we are fighting very hard to get those wages up to a living wage, as our governor has said, which is $54,000-$60,000 a year and it’s been hard."
The union has not said if or when workers might be walking off the job.
The Office of Gov. Pritzker released the following statement:
"Over the past several months, the State has reached labor agreements with unions representing the vast majority of the State workforce, which were ratified by overwhelming majorities of State employees. Those agreements recognize the important work that State employees perform, and each of them included fair wage and healthcare provisions that provide good compensation and healthcare benefits to employees while recognizing that the State must balance its budget. Contract negotiations with the Teamsters are ongoing, and the Governor is committed to ensuring a fair agreement for everyone involved, like those that have already been reached with other unions."