“Right to work” roundup
Thursday, Oct 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tina Sfondeles…
In a big win for Gov. Bruce Rauner — and perhaps a sign that Republican legislators haven’t deserted him — the Illinois House failed by just one vote to override his veto of a bill that would prohibit local municipalities from enacting “right-to-work” zones to get around unions.
This week of the veto session was seen as a test of how badly the governor had alienated Republicans after signing into law a House bill that expands public funding of abortion — a move that even spawned the possibility he’ll get a primary challenger.
The test comes three months after Rauner saw some House Republicans buck him on a tax and budget package. But on Wednesday, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin worked his caucus hard — and only four Republicans broke ranks on the override measure, joining 66 Democrats. The 70-42 vote fell one vote short.
Rauner’s victory lap for an issue he’s pushed since his election may be a short one, however. A motion to reconsider the vote can still be filed, and bill sponsor state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, plans to file separate legislation ahead of the veto session next month to remove a controversial portion of the measure that offers a criminal penalty to local governments that enact right-to-work. Both of those options offer an opportunity to get additional votes on the measure.
* Gov. Rauner’s statement…
The people of Illinois scored a victory today. The House of Representatives rejected efforts to close a door to job opportunity here.
Instead, courageous House lawmakers stood together to dump the old playbook and move forward to make Illinois more competitive.
Local communities should be able to decide how best to compete for jobs and choose reforms that can make their economies stronger, help their businesses grow and give the freedom to individual workers to support a union at their own discretion.
It will help Illinois be better positioned to be competitive nationally and globally and create opportunity for all the people of our state.
* Monique Garcia…
Democrats say they might try to override him again soon, though.
Sponsoring state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, said he’d try again when lawmakers return to Springfield for the second half of their annual veto session in November. The Senate already voted to override the governor Tuesday.
Moylan noted that one Democratic lawmaker was absent, and he said he planned to offer a second bill that would remove criminal penalties for officials who violate the right-to-work ban. Republicans had raised concerns about charging local elected officials with a crime for proposing ideas they believe would benefit their communities. […]
The override effort’s 70 votes was four more than when the legislation first passed the House in June. Four Republicans voted in favor, but most were unwilling to buck Rauner on the issue.
* Doug Finke…
Rep. Martin Moylan, D-Des Plaines, House sponsor of the bill, said workers in right-to-work states have lower wages and less workplace safety than workers in states that are not right-to-work. He also said that being right-to-work does not promote economic activity.
“Right-to-work laws have no impact on job growth,” he said.
Opponents disagreed. Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, said a vote to override Rauner’s veto would be a “nail in the coffin” for Illinois’ economy. Other Republicans complained that the bill actually made it a misdemeanor crime for local officials to enact a right-to-work ordinance.
“A yes vote is a vote to lock up village trustees and putting local mayors in jail,” said Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee.
* Greg Bishop and Dan McCaleb…
Business and industry leaders say the fact Illinois is not a right-to-work state hurts it when trying to lure job creators.
“Illinois is at a competitive disadvantage to attract the employers we need,” Rep Tom Morrison, R-Palatine, said. “Our citizens need these jobs.”
The village of Lincolnshire enacted an ordinance creating a “local right-to-work zone” in 2015. The new ordinance was immediately challenged in court and is still ongoing. SB 1905 would void that ordinance.
Two Republicans – Reps. David Harris, R-Arlington Heights, and Terri Bryant, R-Murhpysboro – who voted against the right-to-work ban legislation in June changed their votes Wednesday and voted to override Rauner’s veto. Republican Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, did not vote on it in June and voted for the override.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:06 am:
Has a major business stated “lack of anti-union policies is why we aren’t in Illinois”?
- Steve - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:09 am:
It might appear to be a win for Rauner but in the long run it doesn’t mean much. Many corporations don’t want to deal with the uncertainty of being in a union state. Who knows how the village of Lincolnshire will feel about unions 3 years from now…
- Facts - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:12 am:
It’s not right to work…it’s right to work for less.
- Steve - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:23 am:
Some entry level workers , without work experience, want the right to work for less than $31,200 a year (52×40= 2080 x $15 an hour). Making it illegal for those without a high school diploma(to work for less) and no work experience is racism. After all, the minimum wage was founded in racism. Check out this scholarly book from Princeton University Press on the subject.
https://www.amazon.com/Illiberal-Reformers-Eugenics-Economics-Progressive/dp/0691169594
- JS Mill - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:27 am:
=Many corporations don’t want to deal with the uncertainty of being in a union state=
Exactly. Caterpillar hated it so much they packed up their HQ I. Peoria and loved to Chicago.
Errrr, wait a second…..
- Maximus - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:28 am:
Precinct Captain,
There was an article posted here a week or two ago about how Illinois is no longer in the running for the Toyota plant. One of the reasons listed was because Toyota wanted to build it’s plant in a state that has right-to-work laws (among other reasons).
- Dr. M - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:29 am:
The Supreme Court will soon rule that requiring non-union members to pay fees to a union is in violation of their First Amendment rights. Right-to-work will be national law and Republican Govs won’t be able to use being a non-RTW state as an excuse for their inability to facilitate job creation. Unions will adapt, or die.
- Chicago 20 - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:31 am:
It all reminds me of Roger Miller’s King of the Road.
“Third boxcar, midnight train, destination, Bangor, Maine.
Old worn out clothes and shoes,
I don’t pay no union dues,
I smoke old stogies I have found short, but not too big around
I’m a man of means by no means, king of the road.”
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:32 am:
–perhaps a sign that GOP legislators haven’t deserted him..–
What was the 112-0 vote to override the backlog transparency veto a sign of? That’s a whupping in any league.
Prior to yesterday, the House had only voted to override three Rauner vetoes in more than two years. Yesterday, they overrode him “nearly a dozen times” (feel free to use the actual number next time, NPR).
That’s a sign that Rauner has lost his mojo in the House GOP caucus. They ain’t scared of him anymore.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:50 am:
@Dr. M- I don’t what SCOTUS will do, maybe your tea leaves are better than mine. That said, I agree with the conclusion of your post- unions will adapt or die.
I also think they will bring suit to challenge statutes that require them to bargain on behalf of non-union employees RTW becomes the law of the land. Fair is fair.
- Grandson of Man - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 10:53 am:
When is Rauner going to run on RtW and other anti-union policies, since they’re the centerpiece of his goals as governor?
- Chicago 20 - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 11:07 am:
- “One of the reasons listed was because Toyota wanted to build it’s plant in a state that has right-to-work laws (among other reasons).”
Except for the fact Toyota didn’t say that at all.
Toyota has not made any statements.
Mark Peterson, Rauner’s appointee to Intersect Illinois said that.
It’s all Peterson’s biased speculation as to why or why not Toyota has made a decision on locating in Illinois.
- Maximus - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 11:09 am:
Chicago 20 -
Yeah I remember there was some interpretations and speculation happening on why Toyota made the decision the way they did. I guess when they finally announce the true location of the plant we can see if it’s in a RTW state and what they say about it.
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 11:17 am:
==Many corporations don’t want to deal with the uncertainty of being in a union state.==
All states are union states. Right to work just means some members might not pay dues. Any job anywhere can have a vote on certifying a union. Since the new plant workers wouldn’t be paying dues prevote, the organinizing international would be paying for a union election.
- Texas Red - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 11:20 am:
from my post last week…
Toyota has a long history of selecting new plant locations that are not union friendly. selecting a RTW state gives them confidence that the new plant will be free of unions. Now you can split hairs about how RTW has nothing to do with IL losing out; but history says otherwise.
“In more than 30 years, none of the free-standing assembly plants owned by foreign manufacturers in the United States have ever been organized. (This doesn’t include factories that originally began as joint ventures, such as the former Chrysler-Mitsubishi plant in Illinois or the General Motors GM +0.36%-Toyota joint venture factory in Fremont, Calif., now home to Tesla.)”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2014/02/15/three-key-reasons-why-the-south-will-keep-fighting-the-uaw/#1e5b092828b7
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 11:23 am:
Speaking aside of the actual law, charging mayors and such as criminals really shows the true face of Democrats and how in bed they are with the unions.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 11:28 am:
However with that state I’m ok with the zones. Obviously Chicago is different than Rockford than Danville.
Outside of downtown Chicago, rest of the state is a dump economically speaking. Compare that to Southwest Michigan which is fairly similar politically but is doing a ton better when it comes to jobs
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 11:32 am:
==Making it illegal for those without a high school diploma (to work for less) and no work experience is racism. What race is discriminated against? I never heard of the no high school diploma race. Did anthropologists just discover them? Good thing there is no such law.
- A guy - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 12:09 pm:
==That’s a sign that Rauner has lost his mojo in the House GOP caucus. They ain’t scared of him anymore.==
True and even more true.
- Dan Johnson - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 12:30 pm:
By the way, Canadian officials are pushing for the abolition of right to work laws in the US as part of the Nafta negotiations, making the point they unfairly drive down wages to Canada’s detriment (and making the entire continent poorer as a result).
- Chicago 20 - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 12:33 pm:
- - ““In more than 30 years, none of the free-standing assembly plants owned by foreign manufacturers in the United States have ever been organized.”
That’s not true.
The Mercedes plant in Vance, Alabama has UAW representation as does the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- Old and In the Way - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:14 pm:
The Mercedes plant in Vance, Alabama has UAW representation as does the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In fact both Mercedes and VW prefer to work with unions where possible. It’s part of their management structure and philosophy. They encouraged the unions at both plants.
- Chicago 20 - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:26 pm:
All of Toyota’s plants in Japan are unionized.
When foreign automakers started building vehicles in the US they hired many former GM, Ford and Chrysler management, who has had a historically adverse relationships with the UAW. Those adversarial feelings carried over with them to their new employers.
- Honeybear - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:34 pm:
Just a clarification and confession.
Janus v AFSCME only creates national RTW
In the public sector.
I thought it was public and private. I was wrong
That’s why Rauner has chosen the local RTW zones as his hill to die on
He has given up defending all but the
Anti Union stuff.
He knows he’s going to lose folks
This is legacy setting.
So
Republicans
You have a choice
Distance yourself from Rauner
By overriding the second time around
Or face
The unadultered
Best Union coordinated
Ground game
Ever
Organized
OE 150, AFSCME,SEIU, IFT, CTU
ALL AFL-CIO
With deep deep deep
Animosity
Indeed red eyed rage
Republicans have benefited from Union
Apathy and entropy
Sisters and brothers
Those days are over
From what I’ve seen at the AFSCME and AFL-CIO conventions
Republicans are going to face a
Door to door
Every door
Tsunami
As OW says
“You think on that”
- Ron - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:35 pm:
Call it what you want, but at the rate Illinois manufacturing is going, the only right will be to be unemployed.
Of course unions could care less, until it’s too late. We aren’t far from too late.
- Chicago 20 - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:45 pm:
- “until its too late”
Ron, exactly how long until the sky falls?
- Generic Drone - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:48 pm:
J.S Mill. = fair is fair. Nothing is fair anymore. Even our court system is bought and paid for.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 1:51 pm:
– the rate Illinois manufacturing is going..–
Fourth in manufacturing jobs among the 50 states, according to BLS?
CA — 1.2M
TX — 847K
OH — 660K
IL — 599K
- sulla - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:23 pm:
“Has a major business stated “lack of anti-union policies is why we aren’t in Illinois”? ”
Few companies say anything publicly about whether or not RTW influences their siting decisions. And why would they? Making such an admission would earn the company nothing but controversy.
You have to go one layer up from the individual companies to find the substantive comments on RTW. That layer is the corporate site selection firms.
Here is a quote from a NYT article from 2015 on the subject:
“Site selectors routinely report that businesses seek right-to-work states for investment. Area Development Magazine’s 2012 Annual Corporate Survey found about 75 percent of businesses rated locating in a right-to-work state as “important” or “very important.”
Moreover, up to half of businesses consider right-to-work as a pass/fail factor when deciding where to invest. They view right-to-work, as dubbed in Site Selection Magazine, as “the box that must be checked.””
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:26 pm:
Wordslinger, look at the trajectory. Illinois is losing manufacturing jobs while our neighbors are gaining those jobs.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:28 pm:
@Word- I just read your list.
I am pretty sure what you posted cannot be true because 3 of the top 4 mfr stayes are not RTW.
I sense Raunerbot brains imploding right now.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:31 pm:
Strange, Wisconsin has gained 20,000 manufacturing jobs in the last 5 years. Illinois has lost 12,000.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:32 pm:
Indiana, has gained 18,000 jobs in the last five years.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:33 pm:
Iowa has gained 4000 manufacturing jobs in the last 5 years
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:34 pm:
Missouri has gained 16,000 manufacturing jobs in the last 5 years
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:37 pm:
Kentucky has gained 25,000 manufacturing jobs in the last 5 years.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:42 pm:
Looking out further, is even worse for Illinois
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 2:51 pm:
States with auto manufacturers have done well since the bailout, rehiring workers who had been laid off. 2015 and 2016 were record years for auto sales, g
I’m sure you noted that those steep losses of manufacturing jobs when you were cherry-picking those increases.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
What? Our neighbors aren’t big auto states.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:23 pm:
– Our neighbors aren’t big auto states–
LOL, assembly and parts manufacturing, cars and trucks. Look it up, the practice will do you good.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 3:41 pm:
–Site selectors routinely report..–
And Site Selection Magazine routinely reports that Illinois ranks third in the nation in new projects of at least $1M private investment or 20 new jobs — in 2016, 2015, 2014.
Being in the biz, Sulla, I’m surprised you didn’t know that.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
Why doesn’t illinois have more car manufacturing?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 4:25 pm:
Anyone want to bet that the new Toyota plant goes to a RTW state?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 4:29 pm:
===Anyone want to bet===
Pick a name or bet with yourself or better yet…
Ugh.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 4:37 pm:
Chi 20 and Old, while it’s true that Mercedes welcomed the UAW into the Alabama plant, that’s not the case with VW and Tennessee. VW changed its mind on unionization after their “Dieselgate” scandal and the UAW has lost several elections, now representing only about 170 maintainance workers.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 4:47 pm:
Why do the Democratic big brains in Springfield want to take away a local governments right to implement RTW?
Many businesses and local politicians, particularly near our borders see this as a necessity so they can compete with our neighboring states ,which are all RTW for high paying jobs.
The fact that Democratic Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill to criminalize local politicians if they vote to go RTW is a glaring example of thuggery at its worst. Nothing passes the GA that trial lawyers and unions object to.
If the move to RTW was unpopular with the majority of local voters the politicians who voted for it would surely be voted out of office.
Their disdain for the will of the voters is one big reason why Illinois leads the nation in distrust of state government.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 5:00 pm:
OW, is this better? Now will you bet whether a RTW state gets the Toyota plant?
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 5:02 pm:
Lucky, Springfield is a huge reason Illinois is leading the nation in manufacturing jobs loss as well.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 5:03 pm:
Madigan and his unions could care less about the vast majority of people.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 5:04 pm:
It’s not better and I wasn’t looking to engage with you in this. It’s was a rhetorical exercise.
Good luck.
- Anon - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 7:22 pm:
Oswego, you afraid of facts?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 7:26 pm:
- Anon -
===… assembly and parts manufacturing, cars and trucks. Look it up, the practice will do you good===
You take on - Wordslinger -, then just leave me alone.
I fed you. You have nothing. Go bet yourself, after you take down - Wordslinger -
You’re the guy at the bar that picks 3 fights and won’t finish any…
- blue dog dem - Thursday, Oct 26, 17 @ 8:31 pm:
To most of us union folks. We hide behind laws that we think protect us. Not. The only way union jobs are protected is with the ‘old’ wallet. Our own wallets I might add.
- Chicago 20 - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 5:45 am:
The UAW is in at Volkswagen Chattanooga.
Volkswagen seems to think the UAW will only will represent assembly line workers and not the skilled trades working in the plant.
They are currently trying to come to an agreement and a contract.
- Rabid - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 7:42 am:
Prevailing wage keeps government money local and in Illinois, saves jobs and keeps surrounding states out of our job market
- Rabid - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 8:01 am:
When an illinois union contractor from out of the local shows up, workers are matched man for man so half the money stay local and the other half stays in Illinois
- Rabid - Friday, Oct 27, 17 @ 8:23 am:
rauner wants to create Illinois jobs for out of state contractors, how many out of state/counrty contracts has he signed
- jimmiewashere - Tuesday, Oct 31, 17 @ 1:04 pm:
Looking for a model city ordiance to have ready for many cities to be introduced locally.
If not anyone what to put one together?