SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Clerical workers for the Illinois State Board of Education in Springfield and Chicago say they need a big raise to keep up.
AFSCME Local 2811 president Shelley Hamlin, leading an informational picket in Springfield Monday evening, said her members want a living wage.
She defines “living wage” as "anything that you make where you can have a little bit to set aside; enough money to get by."
"Just last month, after I paid my bills, I had to use my credit card to buy groceries," Hamlin added. “It’s a horrible cycle that a lot of us are going through.”
She said the current contract is three years old.
“ISBE continues to bargain in good faith with AFSCME as agency leadership seeks a contract that is fair and competitive, while also fiscally responsible," an ISBE spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement.
Hamlin said the most recent offer from ISBE was a raise of $400 per year.
"That is nothing," she said.
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