Illinois agrees to compensate Republicans fired under Blagojevich administration
SPRINGFIELD—
— 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.
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.
The largest pay increase for rehired employees was 61 percent to Lori Coonen, who went from a monthly salary of $3,737 when she was fired to $6,020 currently, officials said. The state also is paying pension benefits she lost over the years and a $20,000 cash settlement, invoices showed.
Craven said the verdicts and settlements should send a message to state officials looking to play illegal partisan games.
"The message should be, 'Don't do that,'" Craven said.
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