Seven Republican lawmakers say they convinced Governor Bruce Rauner to go back on his decision to lay off 124 prison nurses. Instead, they say the governor will return to negotiations. Rauner’s previous plan was to outsource the jobs to a private company called Wexford, which already provides healthcare to inmates at the Department of Corrections.
Union-backed Democrats say private contractors underpay their workers for poorly monitored work. The Republicans would not go that far. Representative Tim Butler, from Springfield, says he’s focusing on helping the nurses keep their state jobs.
“I think they provide good service. I’m not saying that Wexford doesn’t. That’s up to the administration to determine whether or not they think Wexford is a good organization to have involved.”
Both the governor and the nurses’ union have yet to confirm the announcement.
