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Since then, union-heavy states have been enacting laws to weaken the impact of the Janus decision. Which state probably is next to have such a law? You guessed it. Illinois.

Lawmakers during the fall veto session sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker legislation that would make it easier for unions to recruit members and harder for employees to know their rights under Janus. Public employers — mostly governments — would be required to provide the names, addresses and contact information of their employees, including personal email addresses and cellphone numbers on file, directly to union bargaining units.

The legislation also severely limits the ability of employers to inform their workers about the choice to join a union or not. […]

If Pritzker signs the bill, he will demonstrate once again who actually runs Illinois state government. It’s not his administration. It’s not the department heads. It’s the public employees unions who represent more than 90% of the state workforce. They already have the power. Governor, why give them more?

Always with the hyperbole. I don’t recall the editorial board getting upset when the Rauner administration slipped employees’ personal contact info to the Illinois Policy Institute.

Also, this bill was mostly just a codification of the contract that Gov. Pritzker’s administration negotiated with AFSCME. He ran as an unabashedly pro-union candidate. To call on him to flip-flop now is more than a bit disingenuous.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 9:51 am

Comments

“Tribune” and “Disingenuous” is a tautology.

Comment by Skeptic Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 9:53 am
What Rauner did wasn’t right. Two wrongs don’t make a right. If JB signs this law it probably will land in federal court based on privacy issues . It appears Alito and gang are looking to chip away at union rights.

Comment by Steve Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:03 am
Great title for this post.

It goes back to Rauner, who won with the help of 2 in 5 union households voting Rauner (to teach a lesson to Quinn, lol) to finding out what Raunerism is, then Janus and Rauner trying to insert himself, but was rejected by the courts, to Rauner losing by the worst margin in 100 years for a sitting Republican Governor, a margin that found less than 2 in 5 voting supported him.

Pritzker was at all times the Labor candidate in the General Election, and unlike Raunerism, something sprung on everyone in that appearance in Decatur, it’s these moves by Pritzker that aren’t surprising at all.

All the great work by Trib reporters is diluted and ruined by an editorial board lacking in honesty to even the most obvious things

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:06 am
The motto on top of the Tribune Editorial page: “Disingenuous ‘R’ Us.”

Comment by Norseman Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:07 am
==harder for employees to know their rights==

I didn’t know freeloading was a ‘right’. Of all the adjectives used to describe Mark Janus, ‘freedom fighter’ is WAY down on my list. /S

Comment by Jocko Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:14 am
Leave it to the hapless wealthy at the Trib editorial board to pretend they’re victimized by middle class workers. The old crocodile tears of the most privileged and wealthy. Their corporations got a massive tax giveaway, a 14% annual raise, that makes Chicago teachers’ and state workers’ COLA’s look much smaller in comparison. Cry a river of fake tears.

“harder for employees to know their rights under Janus”

Some kind of “right,” the right to be poorer.

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:18 am
The bill has a fun Orwellian vibe to it.

I can’t think of a situation where I didn’t regret giving a company my address, email, and phone number, so good luck. Let’s hope that AFSCME emails will make it past the state’s spam filter.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:30 am
City Zen, honestly it was uncool to get stuff in the mail from IPI, to get fake survey calls probing us, to get emails from IPI funded groups trying to destroy our union.
Seriously, it was bad.
Be snarky all you want but you didn’t have to deal with it.

Comment by Honeybear Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:43 am
The Tribune Editorial Board may wish they were unionized by the time the Alden Global hedge fund gets finished with them.

Comment by A Jack Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:44 am
==also severely limits the ability of employers to inform their workers about the choice to join a union or not.==

That’s not the employer’s job. The employer shouldn’t be giving their opinion on union membership one way or the other.

What the Tribune doesn’t understand is that this was a response to the Rauner years when the Governor saw it has his mission to destroy the unions.

The point of this legislation and the language in the contract is to keep the union’s business just that - their business.

Instead of having the vapors the Tribune should perhaps reflect on the fact that Governor Rauner lost the last election by a large margin. His anti-union zealotry was rejected. Get over it Tribune. Stop whining.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 10:51 am
All of us here likely understand the issues facing journalism these days. For this reason I subscribe to the Sun-Times, the Daily Herald, Block Club Chicago, and my local weekly among others. Every time I think about subscribing to the Tribune again, I’m reminded why I don’t.

Comment by Lefty Lefty Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 11:10 am
Don’t tronc understand herd mentality, turning on your coworker for cash

Comment by Rabid Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 11:12 am
==I didn’t know freeloading was a ‘right’==

The word “exclusive” comes up 93 times in the bill. This is your not-so subtle reminder as to why the union is perfectly content with those pesky freeloaders.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 11:24 am
== and harder for employees to know their rights under Janus.==
So the Tribune is admitting it’s inadequate in informing people?

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 11:52 am
If only I could only not be governed by Trump and Moscow Mitch because I don’t want them to exclusively represent me as POTUS and Senate Majority Leader. It’s too bad for me that I can’t “opt out” of their governance. It’s democracy, which is how exclusive bargaining representation works. Don’t like the union being the exclusive rep, or POTUS and other elected officials? Vote them out. Vote to decertify the union. Taking away exclusive representation without the will of the employees undermines democracy.

Comment by Grandson of Man Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 12:27 pm
Maybe Proft will hire Kristin after the Trib gets stripped.

Comment by PublicServant Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 12:31 pm
Has there ever been a determination that the unions must represent the free loaders?

Comment by Huh? Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 12:34 pm
==Don’t like the union being the exclusive rep, or POTUS and other elected officials? Vote them out. Vote to decertify the union.==

Don’t like having to represent everyone? Drop your exclusive bargaining rights or self-de-certify and leave the market. Some other union will then swoop in and claim that lucrative exclusive bargaining deal you left behind.

Comment by City Zen Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 1:02 pm
It’s understandable why some people wouldn’t want a union to have access to their personal information.

VA blasts federal union for allowing ‘a culture of sexual harassment’ to thrive at highest levels

https://tinyurl.com/raj8769

Comment by Steve Monday, Nov 25, 19 @ 2:25 pm
==Has there ever been a determination that the unions must represent the free loaders? ==

From the NRLB website: Your union has the duty to represent all employees - whether members of the union or not - fairly, in good faith, and without discrimination. This duty applies to virtually every action that a union may take in dealing with an employer as your representative, including collective bargaining, handling grievances, and operating exclusive hiring halls.
https://www.nlrb.gov/rights-we-protect/whats-law/employees/i-am-represented-union/right-fair-representation

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, Nov 26, 19 @ 8:09 am