Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration says it plans to lay off state prison nurses to streamline medical services and coordinate them with the current health care vendor. Rauner's office informed the Illinois Nurses Association that in June it will lay off 124 nurses at 12 prisons. Their jobs would be privatized.
Nicole Wilson is spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections. She says the administration will save $8 million by privatizing the jobs. She says medical provider Wexford Health Care Services is willing to hire most of the laid off nurses and the administration would locate vacancies in other departments for other displaced nurses.
Alice Johnson is executive director of the nurses association. She says Rauner is retaliating because union members rejected a tentative contract agreement last spring.
