The budget passed by Illinois legislators in early July promised a 48 cent per-hour raise for home caregivers who work for the state’s Home Services Program. The program’s current wage is $13 per hour, which the lawsuit states is the lowest wage of any state employee. The suit alleges that the state had one month from the July 5 enactment of budget to implement raises, but has not yet done so.
The governor’s office justified the delay by pointing to the ongoing contract negotiations between the state and the union. However, union representatives said those negotiations should not affect the baseline pay laid out in the budget.
“The law is clear: the state is required to implement statutory minimum labor standards — such as minimum wage,” Terri Harkin, union vice president, said in a statement. “The state is then required to bargain with the union for any increases above the minimum standard by statute. Neither the Labor Act nor the SEIU collective bargaining agreement presents an obstacle to the immediate implementation of the raise required by the statute.”
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