SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ largest union of state employees announced Tuesday it has ratified a new contract with Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration that includes an 18% pay hike over four years and extended parental leave.

       The four-year contract between the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 and Pritzker’s administration is expected to cost taxpayers about $625 million, an increase of about $200 million from the previous contract, according to Pritzker spokesman Alex Gough.

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       About a third of that four-year total, or $204 million, would cover the expenses for the contract’s first year, he said.

       “Compensating people fairly and competitively for the crucial duties they perform to make sure the state is running efficiently requires additional investment, especially as cost of living has risen significantly in recent years,” Gough said in an email. “We made deliberate efforts to address hiring concerns within state government, fill vacancies with top tier talent, and retain the great people who are already doing that work.”

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       AFSCME Council 31, which represents thousands of state workers ranging from corrections officers to public health employees, said the new agreement will give the workers a raise in wages by 17.95% over four years. Parental leave will be expanded to 12 weeks from 10 weeks, and the contract also addresses efforts to improve workplace safety, according to the union.

       The union also noted the agreement includes actions to expedite the filling of job vacancies and improve strategies to recruit, hire and retain workers, such as forming a joint labor-management committee to identify any obstacles to hiring, as well as starting a pilot program to award recruitment bonuses for positions with high rates of vacancies.

       “This contract helps to address the toll that inflation has taken on state employee incomes and keeps health care affordable,” AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said in a statement.

       The Pritzker administration highlighted the employee discipline component of the contract. It includes simplifying the process the employer must follow before firing a subordinate for failing to consistently show up to work.

       “This contract represents a partnership that won’t just expand our pool of state employees — it will strengthen our state’s workforce and provide opportunity for employees and their families,” Pritzker said in a statement.

       The two sides came to agreement in the hours after AFSCME’s previous contract expired at the end of June, coinciding with the start of the state’s 2024 fiscal year and a $50.4 billion budget passed by the Democratic-controlled state legislature and signed by Pritzker.

       jgorner@chicagotribune.com

       Originally Published: Jul 25, 2023 at 4:14 pm