Sixteen state transportation workers who were fired because they were Republicans won their case against the state of Illinois. The state workers won a total of $422,000.
Chicago Tribune reported:

The state has agreed to pay a total of $422,000 to 16 state transportation workers who a federal jury determined were fired because they were Republicans during the Democratic administration of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, officials said Friday.

The 16 were laid off from jobs at the Illinois Department of Transportation in July 2004, the second year of Blagojevich’s reign. They sued the agency for wrongful termination, and a federal jury agreed last month that they had been “fired for their political affiliations,” said Donald Craven, an attorney for the workers.

Individual settlements were reached between the state and the workers rather than leaving it to the courts to award damages.

Nine workers already are back on the payroll, some with substantial pay increases. Some of the workers have declined offers to return.

 

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  1. #1 April 30, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    Midwestengr commented:

    For once it’s good to see tax dollars going for something worthwhile in my state.

  2. #2 April 30, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    Fed up commented:

    I’m waiting for Obama, holder, and Emmanuel to declare the lotto drawing void.

  3. #3 April 30, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    Fed up commented:

    Lotto drawing = fat chance = repubs getting anything decent in chi-town

  4. #4 April 30, 2011 at 7:43 pm

    uggy parfait commented:

    wow, I wonder how many of their children will raped and killed by the mob who hated their freedom and love for Ameircan positions?

  5. #5 April 30, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    SSBN 627(B) commented:

    Let the audits begin.

  6. #6 April 30, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    juandos commented:

    Rod Blagojevich is just like herpes…

    It leaves behind so many after affects…

  7. #7 April 30, 2011 at 8:15 pm

    Militant Conservative commented:

    Cut them loose and let the hammer drop on the rest. Unions have run thier course. Time to kull the herd. Cut them all loose and lets see how many wish to have non union jobs.

    powder is dry and compititon is nasty.

  8. #8 April 30, 2011 at 8:29 pm

    tommy mc donnell commented:

    were these guys in a union. do unions allow you to be fired because of your party affiliation. is this what union leaders do today.

  9. #9 April 30, 2011 at 8:49 pm

    Hedgehog commented:

    Democrat = Progressive = Socialist = Communist = Criminal. Wake up!

  10. #10 April 30, 2011 at 8:51 pm

    BruceC commented:

    “…The highest cash settlement from the state went to Jason Yoakum for $100,000 to be paid out over five years. Yoakum also was rehired as a financial services manager at $3,814 per month, the same amount he made when fired, according to the comptroller’s office. The state is not making back payments to Yoakum’s pension plan but is for others in the case….”

    It doesn’t appear that these workers were union employees. I have some experience in this area because a relative of mine was a white collar civil service employee at IDOT. When Blago took over he turned a bunch of civil service positions into patronage positions. My guess is that is what happened here. The republican civil service workers were cleared out for democrat political hacks.

    I know that my relative said that you’d have to be insane to even have a republican bumper sticker during the regime of Blago.

    Not sure about now, with Quinn. Probably not much better.

  11. #11 April 30, 2011 at 9:55 pm

    gru57 commented:

    Good luck with collecting it.

  12. #12 April 30, 2011 at 9:56 pm

    Political Cartoons commented:

    I am just amazed that it took 7 years for this lawsuit to be settled! I am grateful they won, but what a sorry state our legal system is in. Glad to hear that the majority of them are back to work with higher wages, hopefully there aren’t others out there who suffered similar fates but were to scared to bring it up.

  13. #13 April 30, 2011 at 10:57 pm

    Taxpayer commented:

    I’m amazed–and delighted–that someone was willing to recognize that conservatives have rights, too.

  14. #14 April 30, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    mcc commented:

    I went to the link to see if this was accurate:

    “…the second year of Blagojevich’s reign.”

    Yep. Must be the way the locals talk…

  15. #15 May 1, 2011 at 7:52 am

    JPL17 commented:

    ## 8 and 10:
    I don’t think these were union workers. If they had been, I think the employees’ wrongful termination claims would have been decided by a labor arbitrator rather than in federal court. That said, I’m no expert on this.

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