Big News! The Cook County Board passed an ordinance on Tuesday, October 17, which secures the rights of assistant Cook County public defenders to bargain collectively through our Union. For the first time since the birth of our Union, our bargaining rights are formally protected.This ordinance is a big victory, coming after many years of attempts to formally protect our bargaining rights. Your Union Executive Board made this ordinance a top priority this year in light of court challenges to attorney unions across the state, and we are excited that our union rights are protected in this manner. We believe that Local 3315 is the only attorney union in the state to successfully obtain this important protection.
Many thanks are due to the people who worked hard to make this happen. Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin sponsored the ordinance, and without his leadership, the ordinance would not have been possible. Also, Ray Harris, AFSCME Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, was instrumental in seeing the ordinance become a reality. According to Harris, “We wanted to make sure that we never have to risk any employer trying to take away [Local 3315] or disregard the contract. Now the gains we have won over the years cannot be taken away.”
(Public Defenders thank Commissioner Larry Suffredin for sponsoring the public defender ordinance.)
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