IDOT to lay off 29 employees Rauner says were illegally hired

Gov. Bruce Rauner is laying off 29 employees at the Illinois Department of Transportation he said were among hundreds illegally hired before he took office.

All of the workers were given a “staff assistant” title that allowed them to circumvent rules meant to keep politics out of hiring decisions. They were later transferred into jobs with union protections.

The layoffs are effective Sept. 15. The administration said 11 of the workers are employed in Sangamon County.

“Our administration has put an end to the illegal patronage hiring that started under (ex-Gov. Rod) Blagojevich and continued under (former Gov. Pat) Quinn,” Rauner said in a statement Thursday, referring to his Democratic predecessors. “This is an additional step to restore citizens’ faith in state government so it works for them and not the political insiders.”

Read more: http://www.sj-r.com/news/20160901/idot-to-lay-off-29-employees-rauner-says-were-illegally-hired