In 2023, just under 13 percent of Illinois workers were union members, which was a record low. Since 2004, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 has seen about a 20 percent drop in membership.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.