By: Chris Gilson, cgilson@cbs4qc.com
It's an assault on collective bargaining rights in Illinois, that's the word from AFSCME leaders after their contract is terminated.
Members of the state's largest union are on edge wondering what could happen next.
Local AFSCME leaders are in shock after Governor Pat Quinn becomes the first in Illinois history to terminate the union's contract.
Now, union leaders said they aren't going to rest until a deal is reached.
"These threats will not be taken lightly not by our union or by other unions," Dino Leone, Local AFSCME Council 31 Representative said.
Local AFSCME Council 31 Representative Dino Leone said he has no idea why the Governor would terminate their contract.
That's because Leone said they've been going to the table and making progress.
"You cannot change any wages hours of work or conditions of employment until impasse is reached. It's clear there's no impasse reached," Leone said.
Leone feels Governor Quinn's actions are leaving union members with little choice, but to take more action.
"We don't want to have a strike. In the 40 years we've done collective bargaining in the state of Illinois we've never had a strike before," he said.
Leone said Governor Quinn is only creating more uncertainty for public employees who are working in offices that are already short staffed.
"When you have instability in the work place and you have stressed workers because they're over worked, working many hours with no sleep he's definitely added a whole new stress level," Leone said.
Governor Pat Quinn's office released this statement that said, "During 11 months of bargaining, the state has extended the contract three time and made significant efforts to compromise."
The statement went on to say, "The government employees union (AFSCME)...continues to seek millions of dollars in pay hikes the taxpayers can't afford to give them."
AFSCME has three more collective bargaining meetings scheduled for December.
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