Dozens of state employees will hold onto their jobs for at least another month, while a court case seeking to prevent their being laid off continues. It's part of a patronage scandal that's playing out ahead of the November election.
When, or if, the Department of Transportation workers will lose their jobs is the issue now.
But it stems from questions over how they were hired in the first place. The state's inspector general says that under the administrations of both Rod Blagojevich and Pat Quinn, IDOT skirted state hiring laws -- in ways that let applicants with political connections get jobs.
IDOT's new secretary announced shortly after taking over her plans to lay-off some 58 people in those positions.
But the Teamsters have sued, saying that breaks the union's contract. The lawsuit alleges the motive behind the terminations is "to provide political cover" for Gov. Quinn.
A new court agreement says IDOT has to delay the layoffs, pending a hearing late next month. Quinn says he, and his transportation secretary, are willing to wait.
"But she's committed to making this reorganization; I think that will prevail. But, if there's an opportunity for everyone to have their voice heard in court, so be it."
A spokesman for Quinn's Republican challenger, Bruce Rauner, calls it a "broken promise."