A lawsuit filed Monday by the union representing guards at the East Moline Correctional Center seeks an injunction to stop the layoff of some 2,600 state employees, including 74 from the local prison.

Anders Lindall, a spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said AFSCMEfiled the lawsuit in Johnson County. The lawsuit was filed against the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) director James Sledge and Department of Corrections director Michael Randle.

Mr. Lindall said AFSCME has received more than 500 layoff notices for department of corrections (DOC) employees among the 2,600 state employees scheduled to lose their jobs.

Mr. Lindall said Illinois is critically short of staff.

"Illinois has the fewest state employees per resident of any state in the nation," Mr. Lindall said. "That staff shortage has caused basic servcies to erode.

"It has also wasted tens of millions of dollars a year in unnecessary overtime costs. When there isn't enough staff, the state pays its employees to work overtime to cover shifts. If there were an adequate number of employees, that wouldn't be necessary."

Earlier this month, the 74 East Moline prison employees were given notice they would lose their jobs effective Sept. 30.

"No one has been laid off yet,"Mr. Lindall said.

IDOC spokeswoman Januari Smith said her department doesn't typically comment on pending litigation. A spokesman for Gov. Pat Quinn's office could not be reached for comment.

Dino Leone, representing AFSCME Council 31, said earlier this month the East Moline facility had been short-staffed for years.

Ms. Smith said then the cuts are part of an effort to close an $11.6 billion state budget deficit.

"What they've (state) made is an unsafe work environment by going down this road," Mr. Leone said earlier this month. "They are also making an unsafe community.

"There are now 1,100 inmates and 136 correctional officers (at East Moline). Now, we're laying off another 55 correctional officers.

"Do the math."

In addition to East Moline, layoff locations include Decatur, Lincoln, Logan, Vandalia and Vienna correctional centers.