Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s anti-union rhetoric and resolve will be tested in the leadup to June 30th, the date that a contract with 38,000 state employees expires and a statewide strike or lockout could ensue. Contentious negotiations between the Rauner administration and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have come to a near standstill, but the governor does not seem to mind. He intends to make good on his campaign promise to “accept a strike or lockout if that’s what it took to win concessions from state workers on their contract.” Democratic leaders and union representatives continue to attempt to negotiate, but Rauner is poised for a final showdown.