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In the wake of a years-long battle between Illinois Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and AFSCME, 81% of members eligible to vote were in favor of a strike. Labor relations experts, such as Bob Bruno and Chris Mooney of the University of Illinois, have claimed that this vote was the union’s method of signaling just how seriously it is taking the governor’s lack of cooperation in the effort to draft a new collective bargaining agreement after the expiration of their prior contract in 2015. AFSCME representatives maintain that they will not actually stage a strike until they’ve completely exhausted all other options; meanwhile, Gov. Rauner has stood his ground, claiming that the talks are at an impasse and that his contract terms must be accepted and enforced for the good of the state’s economy.