Governor Bruce Rauner is making an urgent appeal to lawmakers to uphold his veto of a measure he called the "worst" he's ever seen. It comes on the eve of a possible vote.
At issue is legislation that would knock out unions' ability to strike and the governor's ability to "lockout" workers. Instead, one side could unilaterally ask that negotiations be put in the hands of an arbitrator.
Rauner sent a letter to General Assembly members saying a vote to override his veto of that plan is "a vote to pave the way for a massive tax hike."
"It's much better that we work it out and follow the labor law of Illinois and America rather than end-run the process, and turn over, you know, 20-percent of our budget, $7 billion in spending, to an unelected, unaccountable arbitrator."
Rauner has publicly committed to avoiding a lockout. But union leaders have said he could just force a strike by asking for too many concessions as they attempt to negotiate a new state contract.
The Senate President says his chamber could vote Wednesday on the arbitration bill. While it's expected unions could have a tougher time mustering enough support to override the veto in the House, the Democratic Speaker has said he the votes.
It’s one of various battles Rauner and labor are fighting. The governor wants municipalities exempt from the prevailing wage and collective bargaining requirements. Unions say that's a direct play to minimize their power, and would hurt middle class families' pocketbooks.