SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In the first-ever strike authorization vote in Illinois state government, an 81 percent majority of the members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 have voted to give their union bargaining committee the authority to call a strike if necessary.

AFSCME Executive Director Roberta Lynch announced the results of the vote totals during a press conference Thursday morning in Springfield.

Lynch said state workers don’t want to strike, are keenly aware of the importance of the public services they provide and are willing to compromise.

However, she noted that if Governor Bruce Rauner continues to refuse to bargain in good faith, he is risking a strike that would shut down state government and that he alone would bear responsibility for the harm a strike would cause.

The vote to authorize the union bargaining committee to call a strike does not necessarily mean that there will be a strike. The bargaining committee will meet in the coming days to chart its path, and pending litigation could also play a role.

Rauner broke off negotiations with the union more than a year ago, walking away and refusing to even meet with the AFSCME bargaining committee ever since.