SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says state employees will be placed on the correct step of the state pay plan on April 1.

The reinstatement of long-postponed, experience-based salary increases is expected to affect about 20,000 state workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Step increases, required by state law, are paid to employees in their first eight to 10 years who, as a savings to state government, start at below-market rates as incentive to gain experience and stick around. Former Gov. Bruce Rauner halted them in 2015 when AFSCME’s last contract expired.

AFSCME challenged Rauner’s action in court and appellate courts ruled the state should pay the back-due step increases

Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh says in a statement Monday that the move shows the governor’s commitment to “standing up for working families.”