By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our mobile app
ROCKFORD — A few dozen Winnebago County government employees rallied outside of a County Board meeting on Thursday to push for higher wages on a new labor contract under negotiation.
Union employees with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 473 have been working under the terms of a contract that expired nearly one year ago. For some on the pay scale, that means hourly rates that will fall below minimum wage come Jan. 1.
“We have multiple members of our staff and our hard-working public employees who are being paid what will be below minimum wage in just a few short months,” said County Board member Angela Fellars, who stood alongside AFSCME employees in their demonstration. “It’s up to us, it’s incumbent upon us to pay our employees well and to make sure that they’re able to participate in our economy, feed their families and live happy, healthy lives.”
More news: Hard Rock gets OK to start construction of casino resort in Rockford
AFSCME is a large union that represents county corrections officers, various caregivers at River Bluff nursing facility, circuit clerk staff, county administration workers, highway employees, animal services workers, 911 center telecommunicators, deputy coroners and other government staff.
Mike Delgado, president of AFSCME Local 473 and a corrections officer for 17 years, said the county’s comparatively low wages are leading to high turnover. Inside the jail, that has caused staffing shortages that can create safety concerns, officers said.
“We’re training the people and then once they get trained they’re going to a municipality that pays more,” Delgado said. “What we’re asking is to be at a competitive wage so we can start keeping people instead of training them, and (then) we’re losing the money on it because they’re going to the other areas.”
Corrections officers started at minimum $22.33 per hour under the terms of the contract that expired Sept. 30, 2021. Officers with higher experience levels earn more. Entry-level circuit clerk employees earned $14.20 an hour as of Jan. 1, 2021, according to the contract. There are various pay scales for the other positions. Some, such as aids at River Bluff, had a contracted wage of a little more than $11 an hour. The minimum wage in Illinois increases to $13 an hour on Jan. 1.
“With the economic times that we’re dealing with, especially with inflation, pay really is everything,” said corrections officer Jake Roberts.
Roberts stressed that corrections officers help the county earn revenue because the federal government pays the county for housing its inmates here. However, he said the pay scale leads many to give up on the job.
“We have people leave, obviously, for other law enforcement agencies because the pay is greater,” he said. “Recently we had somebody leave to drive a truck at a garbage company because they got a big jump in pay. In order to correct the turnover, we really need to start with the root, which is the pay.”
More news: New shoe and streetwear store opens in downtown Rockford
AFSCME and the county’s contracted attorneys return for mediation on the contract in mid-October. Corrections officers have the option to seek interest arbitration to settle their dispute over wages if necessary, Delgado said.
After the demonstration outside, Delgado spoke before the County Board to urge them to support a fair wage for workers. Another corrections officer left County Board members what she said were 400 signed letters of support for AFSCME workers.
Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli said after the meeting that he hopes the two sides can reach an agreement.
“It is ongoing negotiations,” Chiarelli said. “My hope is that is that communication continues so we can get to a negotiated contract.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.