Union members ask tollway to speed up delayed contract
Frustrated AFSCME members implored Illinois tollway leaders to help speed up contract negotiations Thursday, saying the process was needlessly delayed.
"In order to negotiate we need to first come to the table," said senior environmental planner Kelsey Musich, a member of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.
The union's contract with the tollway expired Dec. 21, 2022. Musich noted that the tollway's negotiator recently canceled a meeting citing a "family matter."
"What about the other 200 families of our AFSCME members who are waiting on a resolution to this?" she asked.
Tollway Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse said the agency understood the importance of the issue and that a meeting had been set for Friday with two others scheduled for the first two weeks of June.
"The meeting referred to as canceled unfortunately was due to an emergency situation on behalf of our counsel. Some matters are outside our control," she said.
"We value all our employees. We take negotiations very seriously."
A number of AFSCME members stood with Musich and displayed a sign showing the salaries of the chiefs of the legal, engineering, financial, operations and information departments.
"Together these five salaries add up to over $1 million," Musich said. "For the same amount, you could give each and every member AFSCME member a $5,000 raise."
Workers need to know "what their insurance premiums are going to be ... if they can afford repairs to their vehicles or if they can pay for child care," she said.
Project Manager David Cedeño said many AFSCME members work behind the scenes to keep the system running smoothly.
"We oversee the processes and participate in the designs and the building and in the maintenance of the tollway. Some of us are even on call 24/7. On June 1, it will be five months since our last collective bargaining agreement expired. Enough is enough," Cedeño said.