AFSCME Holds Informational Pickets at PHA

Members of AFSCME Local 3464 held informational pickets Wednesday evening at PHA headquarters in Peoria. The membership overwhelmingly voted to authorize the PHA bargaining committee of the union to call a strike if necessary. The union says both sides negotiated Tuesday with little or no movement. Both sides are set to meet again December 10th. AFSCME has filed unfair labor practice charges against the PHA claiming bad faith bargaining and are awaiting for the case to be heard before the Illinois Labor Board. The union says the PHA has offered their last best offer and the union claims they were told the PHA was going forward with plans to implement the last best offer on November 6th. The union says the key sticking points are a two year wage freeze, the ability of management to subcontract bargaining unit work and increased productivity.