A judge is encouraging Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration to keep bargaining its contract with the state’s largest government union.
Attorneys for Governor Rauner have argued the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which represents thousands of state government employees, is making unrealistic demands in contract negotiations.
They're asking the state’s labor board to declare negotiations at an impasse, which could potentially lead to a strike of state workers.
Tasked with examining negotiations, a judge found some issues where there is an impasse, but said the two sides should keep negotiating.
Anders Lindall is with the union. He says the two sides have already lost 8 months while Rauner pursued an impasse.
"That’s time that could’ve been spent doing the hard work of compromise," he said.
A Rauner spokeswoman says the judge’s decision shows they’ve been negotiating in good faith.