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Your “right to work” roundup

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* Leader Durkin doesn’t get the credit he deserves in this piece. He held his caucus together despite a very strong push by the other side…

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Tuesday narrowly fended off a major loss for the second time in as many weeks when the Illinois House failed to override his veto of union-backed legislation to prevent local governments from establishing right-to-work zones.

The override attempt again fell short by just one vote, despite efforts by Democrats to try to take advantage of a split between Rauner and Republican lawmakers following months of infighting that’s led one conservative House member to pursue a primary challenge against the governor. […]

The right-to-work legislation was put forward by Democrats in response to an attempt by north suburban Lincolnshire to establish a right-to-work ordinance in 2015. A federal court struck down the village’s ordinance, ruling that only states have the power to enact such laws.

* Same goes for this one…

“In a victory for the people, the House of Representatives today kept the door open to stronger job growth in Illinois,” Rauner said in a statement Tuesday.

“Courageous House lawmakers joined together to make Illinois more competitive so local communities can continue to decide how to make their economies stronger, help their businesses grow and give individual workers the freedom to support a union as they choose.

“Thanks to their action, Illinois is better positioned to be a national and global competitor.

“Now we need to buckle down and continue the work of creating economic opportunity for all of the people of Illinois.”

* Public Radio…

State Representative Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, says even though some Republicans reportedly promised unions they’d be with them, “I got a sneaking suspicion we may only end up with 70 votes.”

He was right. The legislation failed on a vote of 70-39 — just one short of the number needed to override a gubernatorial veto.

Rep. Jerry Lee Long, R-Streator, says Illinois is in no danger of becoming a right-to-work state.

“We don’t have enough votes in this House to vote for right-to-work,” he says. “There’s no way that we could make the state of Illinois right to work. All this is is political theater.”

Long says he’s a third-generation union member, but for unions to survive, Illinois has become more business-friendly.

* More on freshman Rep. Long…

Long gave an impassioned speech about unions on the House floor Tuesday. He told his colleagues he was third-generation union and that he had worked hard for the Teamsters. […]

His speech came a day after the Teamsters ran a full-page advertisement in The Times urging him to vote to override Rauner’s veto. That same day, a Teamster semi-truck appeared outside his Streator legislative office carrying the same message.

Steve Conrad, president of the Illinois Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, said Wednesday he continued to be confused about Long’s position on Moylan’s bill.

“Whoever he speaks to, he tells a different story. That’s the confusing part. Tell us what you really want. Quit trying to kowtow to everyone,” Conrad said. “When you keep moving the finish line, you’ll never get to the finish line.”

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:01 am

Comments

Can they call it again, or is it dead dead.

Comment by Grand Avenue Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:03 am
Jerry’s a nice guy, but he really shouldn’t have stood up to speak yesterday. He embarrassed himself. “I’m against right to work but I”m voting no on this because we need to increase the business climate”? Ok, dude.

If you’re too scared to stand up to leadership, at least have the shame to sit there quietly.

Comment by PJ Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:05 am
Labor better realize that after this veto session, the good, the bad, the ugly…

Rauner just doesn’t care… as long as Labor is hurt, or can’t win.

Rauner cares about destroying labor and that win, that makes his whole veto session.

But… keep backing Raunerites.

Keep giving passes.

Boy, Labor, you sure showed Pat Quinn.

You taught Pat Quinn a lesson….

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:07 am
Bob Pritchard had a pretty good relationship with the unions in his district. Here’s thinking maybe he won’t get that Christmas party invitation this year.

Comment by Tommydanger Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:15 am
while Illinois may not adopt RTW in the near future, things are not all rosy for labor. Public sector unions are likely to be facing a crisis with the Janus V. AFSCME SCOTUS ruling; that coupled with the failure to overridden local RTW, show big cracks in the labor lobby.

Comment by Texas Red Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:17 am
“Illinois is better positioned to be a national and global competitor.”

In a race to the bottom, with corporations and businesses who want to pay workers less. Illinois is a proud union state. Our wages are higher in part because of unions, which is the case in over 80% of industries and occupations nationally, year after year, per BLS.

RtW boils down to the super-rich like Rauner trying to extort workers by threatening jobs won’t come unless workers weaken themselves. Plenty of states and districts economically disprove the bunk that Rauner and others push as reasons to strip workers.

Again, Rauner should run on RtW, since it’s his primary goal.

Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:19 am
This issue is bad messaging in terms of enticing companies. It’s not ever going anywhere so why do Ds bother shining a flashlight on just how bad the competitive landscape is in Illinois

Comment by Sue Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:19 am
===show big cracks in the labor lobby.===

So if Drury had shown up to vote and it had passed, would you be extolling the power of the labor lobby? That was literally the difference here.

Comment by PJ Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:20 am
===So if Drury had shown up to vote and it had passed===

If he had shown up, it still probably wouldn’t have passed.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:20 am
Steve Conrad is spot on here. Jerry Long has spent the better part of 3 years telling union people in the 76th his support for them in stopping the advancement of RTW.
I can not tell you how many brothers and sisters (most with “Proud Union Home” signs) told me that when he stopped by there house during his campaign he told them that he was a “Union Man” and would never vote for RTW in any shape or form and has no problem standing up to Rauner.
I believe he told the Rauner people a different story while getting those big campaign donations.
Looks like he is not as independent as he proclaimed. Votes matter! Not speeches!

Comment by Augie Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:22 am
===Can they call it again, or is it dead dead.===

The sponsor said he won’t try another override.

Comment by People Over Parties Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:23 am
Mighty numbers put up on the board
watch them change from green to red
all stand all express their feelings
The people’s voice be they heard
the people’s voices be they ignored
Labor United We stand
Labor divided we fall
one vote and we will show them all

Comment by Sargento Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:23 am
===So if Drury had shown up to vote and it had passed, would you be extolling the power of the labor lobby? That was literally the difference here.===

Nope.

This was never going to get 71.

Drury being there, Durkin would peel another off… “70”.

It’s not even a good bill, it’s a “marker” bill.

Who’s with you, who’s aggin’ ya, but passing wasn’t within reach because the parts of the bill that are terrible legislation are there for a “marker”.

It’s not an accident the number of “Green” was 70, that’s why Durkin deserves so much more credit managing a loss/win here

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:24 am
Union membership is growing in RTW Indiana and declining in non-RTW Illinois.

Comment by Ron Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:29 am
Amazing what happens to employment, both union and non union when the government is not openly hostile to business

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:34 am
–Union membership is growing in RTW Indiana and declining in non-RTW Illinois. –

Still trying to understand the point of this screwball talking point. RTW leads to greater union membership? That’s the objective of RTW, to grow union membership?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:36 am
Not one House Republican did anything for Rauner on this vote. This was all about Durkin. Leaders almost never lose these kinds of votes. That’s why they are leaders.

Comment by Jaded Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:39 am
Was this legislation really necessary? Union labor in Illinois isn’t going away. Any RTW “zones” would be few and far between, if at all. Seems like overkill.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:40 am
So did they call it yesterday instead of today because they knew it wouldn’t pass regardless, but they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stick Scott Drury with the blame?

Comment by Grand Avenue Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 10:51 am
This particular piece of legislation had nothing to do with Illinois becoming a “right to work” state, Rep. Long. It does, however, have everything to do with not allowing a patch-work of varying private sector labor law from county to county, district to district, and even within geo-locations that encompass multiple home rule authorities. Even if RTW zones are “few and far between” they are still disruptive, illegal under current federal decisions in the Northern District of Illinois, and specifically designed to hurt working-class people and unions as a whole by undermining the plain language of the National Labor Relations Act. So, is the fact that it didn’t pass the end for labor? No. But, it the bill overkill? I think not.

Comment by Anonymice Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 11:14 am
From Feb 1, 2015 News and Tribune:
“Unions have also spread into other professions and industries in recent years which has helped grow the bargaining base, Harris added.
‘I think there are more people from different industries looking to join unions now because they are dealing with economic inequality,’ he said.
Workers are struggling to receive fair wages and adequate benefits, so they realize they need to organize to demand better salaries, medical coverage and working conditions, Harris continued.”
https://tinyurl.com/y8loh4q3
And the way some business owners that can afford to will get around unions (Joe Ricketts for example) will be to just shut the doors. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/03/opinion/dnainfo-gothamist-ricketts-union.html

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 11:17 am
Few people probably saw this, but after the republican caucus broke, Durkin and Long went to the governor’s office. That to me says Durkin couldn’t get it done without daddy warbucks. Durkin didn’t have it done on the floor. He was begging several of his members. Governor’s staff bullied Long on floor, had a henchman standing right over him.

Comment by 360 Degree TurnAround Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 11:35 am
So, the next step is SB 770, correct? This took out the criminal language. It passed with 56 in the Senate, and with 73 votes in the House- with Long as a Yes.

https://tinyurl.com/yd5zn5gn

Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 12:13 pm
Rauner’s statement really takes a pair of brass ones. Because of his little obsession, members of his caucus are going to have to go back to their districts and desperately explain how they didn’t actually vote to make Illinois a right to work state, and then Rauner’s statement is basically saying “yeah, ya did.”

Comment by One hand //ing Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 12:27 pm
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170715/why-illinois-personal-income-growth-is-49th-in-nation

Those unions certainly help incomes in Illinois….

Comment by Ron Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 12:27 pm
Zen you’re correct as was Long this is all theater and about getting people on the record. While nifty doubt very many if any municipalities will take on the task.

Comment by the Cardinal Wednesday, Nov 8, 17 @ 12:30 pm