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* Axios reports on some new state laws that expand workers’ rights…
Companies with 50 or more employees must allow workers to exclude public transit and parking costs from taxable income. […]
Places with 15 or more employees will have to include salary ranges and a description of benefits in all new job postings. […]
Employees working for companies of 250 or more full-time workers can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave if their child dies by suicide or homicide. The leave shortens to six weeks for employees at smaller companies. […]
The Freelance Worker Protection Act will make companies compensate independent contractors in a timely manner. […]
Temporary workers or day laborers must be notified ahead of time if they’re sent to fill in at a business where there’s a strike or work stoppage. They’ll reserve the right to refuse the assignment.
* Meanwhile, from the Tribune…
More than 20 staffers in Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s office renewed calls on Friday — three days before the Labor Day holiday — to be recognized as a union.
The employees, whose roles include research and legislative functions, formed the Illinois Legislative Staff Association earlier this year in a bid for higher wages and better benefits. They went public with their intentions to unionize in May but in a statement issued Friday, the association said that Welch, a Democrat from Hillside who became House speaker in 2021, has not been willing to discuss the issue with the group despite requests it has made over the last nine months. […]
According to the association, the $40,000-a-year starting salary for staff members is more than $4,000 less than it was in 2011 if adjusted to 2022 dollars, while the workload has increased. […]
The association said there has been higher turnover of its legislative staff through 2022 and the group said its average pay is less than what House Republican and Senate Democrat staffers, and legislative liaisons from the governor’s office, receive.
* Full statement from the Illinois Legislative Staff Association…
The Illinois Legislative Staff Association (ILSA), which represents employees of the Illinois General Assembly including the House of Representatives as well as District offices, has released the following statement:
“We are the Illinois Legislative Staff Association. For the last 9 months, we have asked in good faith for Speaker Welch to meet with us. Despite his outspoken pro-labor rhetoric and vocal support for the right of all employees in Illinois to unionize, he is apparently intent on denying this right to his own staff.
“It should not be controversial in 2023 for a group of workers in a blue state with a strong union tradition to form a union, especially when the right to organize is enshrined in the state constitution. Speaker Welch himself has publicly referred to Illinois as ‘the most labor friendly state in the country’. In May 2022, he said, ‘Illinois will always be a state that stands up for workers’ rights. The freedom for workers to join together in unions is a fundamental right that should always be protected.’”
“Only eight months ago he publicly referred to efforts to undercut the labor movement as ‘extremist’, and yet that is precisely what he and his aides are now doing.
“All we are asking for is for the Speaker to hold to his own avowed convictions when it comes to his own staff, whose work behind the scenes enables the General Assembly to function.
“The attempted justifications so far given for the Speaker’s refusal to acknowledge or meet with us do not hold up to scrutiny. The Speaker has the power to recognize us voluntarily at any time. Despite this, on the Speaker’s behalf, his aides have disingenuously claimed that ‘voluntary recognition denies [our] colleagues the right to a democratic election.’ Given that we have significantly more than the required number of signatures, this doesn’t make sense. Of course, we would welcome an election, but the Speaker’s team has not followed through with that proposal either.
“Our good faith efforts to engage with the Speaker and his aides have been either rebuffed, redirected, or met with stubborn disregard. When we have been acknowledged at all, we have experienced runaround, muddied waters and other thinly-veiled tactics aimed at undercutting our ability to organize and bargain collectively. The Speaker, through his aides, has made it abundantly clear that he intends to delay indefinitely in hopes that we will give up and go away.
“We will not.
“We have the legal right to form a union. If there was any doubt of this before, that doubt was removed by the passage of the Workers’ Rights Amendment. Equal protection under the law is a fundamental American value, and the right to organize is the law of the land in Illinois. Speaker Welch should not be able, with impunity, to say one thing in public—when it costs him nothing—while doing the opposite behind closed doors.
“He should practice what he preaches.
“ILSA will continue advocating on behalf of legislative staff until we are heard and our concerns are meaningfully addressed. Speaker Welch and his aides should stop their charade and sit down with us in the same good faith that we have consistently demonstrated. If he meant what he told the people of Illinois, then he should work with us to reach an agreement that works for everyone.”
* Speaker Welch’s office didn’t respond to the Tribune…
Happy #LaborDay! Today, we remember all that organized labor has done to make our workplaces safer and fairer. We're continuing to lift up working people by putting workers' rights into our constitution, fighting for equal pay, and building an economy that works for everyone. pic.twitter.com/FjyTqGa1Ol
— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@SpeakerWelchIL) September 4, 2023
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:26 am
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As I “say”.. NOT as “I do”.. the hypocrisy of the progressive left just gets better
Comment by NotRich Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:39 am
=== According to the association, the $40,000-a-year starting salary for staff members is more than $4,000 less than it was in 2011 if adjusted to 2022 dollars, while the workload has increased. ===
My understanding is that staff does far less than they had to do in 2011. Not saying that the union shouldn’t be recognized, but facts are facts.
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:39 am
If the staff wants to, then it will be up to them to go through the necessary steps.
It won’t be a good look if it’s contentious
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:42 am
More hypocrisy from Speaker Welch
He sends his own kids to private school but opposes the renewal of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship that benefits more than 9,000 kids
Comment by Lucky Pierre Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:45 am
I don’t think it’s appropriate for legislative staff to be part of a union. Those jobs are clearly partisan jobs. The Speaker can, however, address the wage issues and he should address those.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:46 am
It will be fascinating to see how this develops especially in light of the additional labor issues on the agenda for the Fall Veto Session.
Will the Speaker willingly work with staff on their unionization efforts? Will the Speaker help Labor or stick with the Governor?
Get the popcorn ready.
Comment by Labor Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:51 am
If an employer will not voluntarily recognize a union, the employees can file a petition with the NLRB for an election.
Why hasn’t ILSA done that or set a date by which they will?
Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:52 am
===Invest in Kids tax credit===
No one is stopping wealthy folks to give to private schools.
Wealthy folks should want to do so. If it’s only for the tax credit then it’s about parochial schools and their need of money they can’t raise.
That seems to be a parochial school problem.
The money is out there. Go raise it.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:55 am
==He sends his own kids to private school but opposes the renewal of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship that benefits more than 9,000 kids==
That’s not the topic here. Can you manage just once in your life to actually address the topic instead of trying to make a completely unrelated comment? Dishonest to the core you are.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:55 am
=== === According to the association, the $40,000-a-year starting salary for staff members is more than $4,000 less than it was in 2011 if adjusted to 2022 dollars, while the workload has increased. ===
I’m guessing the experience level is also much different. In 2011 most of the staff had been around for a long tome. In 2022 most of the staff were brand new.
Comment by Thoughts Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 9:58 am
=== Why hasn’t ILSA done that or set a date by which they will? ===
I believe they did, and they lost because NLRB found they didn’t have a right to unionize under Illinois law. https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2023-05-02/illinois-house-speaker-an-ally-to-organized-labor-faces-a-push-from-his-own-employees-to-unioni
Comment by vern Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:02 am
You can support organized labor while recognizing that not every job should be union. That’s called holding two thoughts in your head at the same time. Legislative staff are partisan, at-will jobs that should not be unionized.
Comment by High Socks Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:03 am
It would be interesting to understand how they determine the work load has increased given that’s incredibly subjective and every general assembly is different. You can’t presume you have more work only because there are more members. Did they actually talk to staffers from 2011 to gauge what they did? Because I’m gonna bet staffers from 2011 were doing a heck of a lot more under that regime than the current one.
Comment by Thoughts Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:03 am
“I believe they did, and they lost because NLRB found they didn’t have a right to unionize under Illinois law. https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2023-05-02/illinois-house-speaker-an-ally-to-organized-labor-faces-a-push-from-his-own-employees-to-unioni”
So, to be clear, the employer, ILGA, has the power to create legislation that has deemed them ineligible for organizing.
Sounds like a level playing field to me…
Meanwhile, Article 23 Sec 4 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that the right to organize is a human right.
https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
Comment by Retired School Board Member Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:16 am
LP, so you support HDem staff forming a union? Do other conservatives feel that way?
Comment by low level Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:19 am
The House Dem staff unionization project isn’t going well, but they’ll just fix it in the Senate.
Comment by The Captain Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:22 am
Not a great look here for the speaker. At least sit down and listen to them. Or offer an opinion on why it’s not a good idea.
Comment by So_Ill Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:27 am
==He sends his own kids to private school but opposes the renewal of the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship that benefits more than 9,000 kids==
If he didn’t use Invest in Kids or at least some other public money to pay their tuition, then this isn’t really hypocrisy.
==I believe they did, and they lost because NLRB found they didn’t have a right to unionize under Illinois law.==
Seems like it might be different with the WRA in place.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:28 am
Unions are good, but not here folks. Legislative staff is and has always been an at-will job because of it’s partisan and political nature. Except for those that transition from the internship program, they are there because of ties to politics in some form. It is also a steppingstone for upward movement into other political and governmental positions. Most importantly, they play a critical role in a policy making process.
It’s a hard job during legislative sessions, but you should know that going in. If they don’t like it, they’re generally young enough to find employment elsewhere.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:29 am
==More hypocrisy from Speaker Welch==
There’s an obvious difference between a family using its own money to send their kids to private school and expecting the taxpayers to do it.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:30 am
The NLRB is over the private sector, it would be the Illinois Labor Relations Board.
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:33 am
==So, to be clear, the employer, ILGA, has the power to create legislation that has deemed them ineligible for organizing.==
State constitution supersedes legislation.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:35 am
@Big Dipper: thank you.
Comment by Moe Berg Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:41 am
– Unions are good, but not here folks –
Some might argue unions aren’t good in *any* situation in which they can elect the people they will be negotiating with and then use the tax collecting power of the state to simply order the rest of us to pay more to cover the generous salaries and benefits the unions’ friends agreed to pay them.
Comment by JB13 Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:45 am
===Some might argue unions aren’t good in *any* situation===
Voters disagreed.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:50 am
“has made it abundantly clear that he intends to delay indefinitely in hopes that we will give up and go away”
Do not give up or go away. Hypocrites need to be held to account. It’s worse than if a Republican rebuffs unions.
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:56 am
==find employment elsewhere==
This sentiment is perplexing. On this site, it has often been said if one wants to work for the state but doesn’t want to join the union representing those state workers, they should look elsewhere for employment. Now we have a subset of state workers (who participate in the state pension system) wanting to join a union but told to look elsewhere for employment. Pick a lane.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 10:58 am
===Pick a lane.===
Partisan legislative staff IS the lane.
The merits of organizing is one with the genesis around a partisan part of governing within the parameters of working within the branch of governing that impacts all, no matter partisan leanings.
There needs to be a recognition of this uniqueness, while it’s also both not disqualifying or a forced given to organizing.
It’s simple only to the origin of the what, not to the impact of the what.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 11:02 am
IL Const. art. I, sec. 25:
Employees shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work. No law shall be passed that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and work place safety, including any law or ordinance that prohibits the execution or application of agreements between employers and labor organizations that represent employees requiring membership in an organization as a condition of employment.
Comment by OneOpinion Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 11:05 am
==Some might argue==
Incorrectly. But sure, they can argue it.
Comment by Arsenal Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 11:32 am
Mr Welch does a good job of fitting the definition of a Democrat: it is ok if things cost more and are a burden, as long as it effects you and not me
Comment by Lurker Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 12:32 pm
===it is ok if things cost more and are a burden, as long as it effects you and not me===
Narrator: Welch isn’t paying for state workers, Illinoisans are. It’s not costing Welch a single personal penny.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 12:35 pm
Waiting for Bernie Sanders to hold a protest demonstration shoulder to shoulder with his union brothers
Comment by Sue Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 1:04 pm
- Sue -
Are you in favor of the staff unionizing?
Why or why not?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 1:08 pm
==There needs to be a recognition of this uniqueness==
That uniqueness is not spelled out in the WRA.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 1:45 pm
===is not spelled out===
Then they should organize and approach it from there.
It could be an interesting lil thought to organized labor and protecting workers if a Dem staffer continually pulls Republican ballots or seemingly not in agreement with Dem policies… but claims as a union protected worker they can stay on staff.
You’d think that whole partisan thingy would be a silly discussion until it’s realized that whole group is configured as… partisan.
- City Zen -, golly, never had you as an advocate for collective bargaining, lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 1:50 pm
==never had you as an advocate for collective bargaining==
The amendment is there and not going away. I’m anxious to see individuals unleash its true, messy power in ways politicians and organized labor never expected.
Comment by City Zen Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 2:12 pm
===I’m anxious to see individuals unleash its true, messy power===
So you’re advocating for chaos.
That’s on brand.
For me, and to the post, there needs to be a real understanding to first what it would mean for these unique workers to organize and what are the goals to that where the Dem Caucus (not just the Speaker) can work to meet the needs of those advocates while keeping what it means in the job, it’s requirements, and it’s rewards.
To hope/advocating for chaos for its own sake seem to miss the point where adults are not finding common ground, currently.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 2:17 pm
If the Illinois law extends to this subset of employees then it’s totally hypocritical not to let them organize if that’s what the majority of them want to do. The Dem position we we ms to be it’s ok to foist a union on everyone else but we know it’s a pain to manage a unionized workforce so we will object. The Speaker’s position is really hard to understand and will end up embarrassing him and the party if these employees do the smart thing and hold rally’s toward the date of the convention
Comment by Sue Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 3:12 pm
The constitution does not differentiate for unique workers. It applies to all workers. So, yes Willy I support the staffers who want to unionize as I would any employees who want to. They have the right to do so. Another example of how liberals are so much fun. Everyone can unionize except the ones who will cause me a problem.
Comment by Captain Obvious Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 4:22 pm
Sue is now pro-union, yay!
Comment by Big Dipper Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 5:25 pm
St. Louis NPR reported that:
Organizers filed for certification with the Illinois Labor Relations Board in January, but were denied March 29. The board said it cannot approve of the union’s filings because of a caveat in state law that says the board doesn’t cover General Assembly employees.
That is correct. In the late 80s, printers in the legislative printing unit were circulating cards to authorize a union. House and senate Dems had previously passed up a chance to prohibit unionization among staff. This time, they were on board and approved an amendment to the law to state that legislative staff are not eligible to unionize. It passed both chambers in about half an hour, with time left over to get a Coke.
Comment by Langhorne Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 5:48 pm
Big Dipper. Not so fast. I said if the law applies to these folks- then it’s pathetic on Harris to deprive his staff of the same rights he claims everyone else should have. This is no different than Biden saying everyone should pay their fair share of taxes while his own family gets a free ride. Maybe Harris can actually learn something if he is forced to deal with a unionized staff
Comment by Sue Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 5:50 pm
“Employees shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing”
Many Republican voters and/or independents voted for workers’ rights in Illinois, Missouri and Ohio. Michigan is another pro-union story. These rights transcend any political affiliation. Pat Quinn found out.
Comment by Grandson of Man Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 6:06 pm
===The constitution does not differentiate for unique workers. It applies to all workers.===
At will workers?
I’m surprised at your now belief in the Illinois constitution to labor. As you continue to have this berating of liberals, I’ve been pro labor when it wasn’t cool during the Rauner years, and I don’t recall in any of my writings here they I say the staff couldn’t organize.
What I wrote is this;
===The merits of organizing is one with the genesis around a partisan part of governing within the parameters of working within the branch of governing that impacts all, no matter partisan leanings.
There needs to be a recognition of this uniqueness, while it’s also both not disqualifying or a forced given to organizing.
It’s simple only to the origin of the what, not to the impact of the what.===
Will the HGOP staff organize? Will the HGOP make their positions At Will?
You are a simpleton to how you constantly think you have this “gotcha” to things you knowingly are guessing upon.
So, if you’re pro labor here, do you think the HGOP staff should organize? Why or why not, and “it’s up to them” is already taken, that was my thought and it wasn’t good enough for you, lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 6:16 pm
===At will workers?===
All Illinois workers are at will unless they have a contract.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 6:22 pm
“Employees shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing”
Them’s the rules for every worker unless/until the IL Supremes say otherwise.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 6:23 pm
Rich,
That’s kinda where I’m at.
If they choose to organize, do so. Have it be where they are organized, or not.
The leverage now seems to be the threat or possibility and getting a best deal without actually organizing (for the side of management/Speaker here)
My point to uniqueness is again for labor here to leverage as much as possible under the parameters of a partisan workforce as their work is by its nature, partisan.
If they can organize, get their own grievances and concessions within that organizing, how is that bad for Welch?
It goes back to my first thought;
===If the staff wants to, then it will be up to them to go through the necessary steps.
It won’t be a good look if it’s contentious===
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 6:34 pm
=== All Illinois workers are at will unless they have a contract. ===
It’s not that simple. The Personnel Code sets standards for the hiring, qualifications and discipline for a large swath of State workers. The contracts expand upon the general requirements. There are classifications of employees that are exempt from most of the requirements of the code. Electeds, their immediate staffs etc. Whether you want to call them at will or exempted, they can be fired without pursuing the disciplinary process set forth in the Personnel Code.
While I don’t think staff should unionize, the legislators may have hoisted themselves on their own petard with the amendment they passed.
Comment by Norseman Tuesday, Sep 5, 23 @ 7:26 pm