State workers in Illinois sent a message to Governor Rod Blagojevich Thursday.

AFSCME union workers are outraged the governor plans to cut their wages to help balance the state budget. They protested today in Marion, Anna, and 36 other sites around the state.

The union has been trying to get a contract for the past six months.
Larry Flynn has worked for the state for 23 years. He said he’s getting frustrated with the drawn out labor talks.

“Your insurance is going to go up. You don’t know if your pension benefits are going to be there. I don’t know what’s going to come out” said Larry Flynn who works at the Vienna Correctional Center.

An AFSCME local Cary Quick says, “We’re so far behind because of the dragging of the feet of the state of illinois that we’re not even done with all our language. To top it all off, we’ve got an economic proposal that’s near impossible for us to work with.”

Illinois state workers picketed 38 state buildings, two of them in Southern Illinios. Choate Mental Health in Anna and the DHS office in Marion.

Union leaders say Thursday’s pickets did not affect services. Contracts for state workers expire at the end of June

Once again it will fall on the workers to pay for a mismanaged government.  All workers should protest this turn of events with letters, calls and such to the governor of Illinois.  Support you fellow workers, for the next round of this fight may be your job!