AFSCME Council 31 and the Rauner administration have reached a deal allowing the two sides to continue contract talks.

Under the deal reached Wednesday, the terms of the labor contract between the union and state, which expired on June 30, will be extended until "an impasse is reached" or they secure a new agreement.

The deal ensures that a strike, lockout, work stoppage or work slowdown won't occur unless there is an impasse. If contract negotiations break down, the two sides can either agree that an impasse has been reached, or they can bring the issue to the Illinois Labor Relations Board (ILRB) if there is a disagreement over whether an impasse exists.

Should the matter be brought to the ILRB, the contract extension agreement will remain in place until the dispute gets resolved by the labor board.
 
Before the two sides reached this latest deal, they had agreed to extend the terms of the expired contract through September 30.