Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Speaker Welch asked about staff union lawsuit during DNC breakfast

Posted in:

Illinois

* A reporter noted to House Speaker Chris Welch this morning that a status hearing is being held this week regarding the lawsuit filed by the Illinois Legislative Staff Association, a group of Welch’s employees who are trying to organize a union. Welch was asked how the lawsuit effects his message on workers’ rights…

Well, my record is clear. You know, coming from a labor family, I am a big supporter of union rights. But we have a law in place currently that I have fought to change. I passed a bill out of the House overwhelmingly. I stand by that bill. I’m hoping that the Senate moves that bill to the governor’s desk and the governor signs it. There is a way to change the law. And I believe that the courts will recognize that the way the plaintiffs have decided to go with that is the incorrect way. I would encourage them to support the bill that I filed. I worked with several folks in the drafting of that, and if we need to change it and make it better, we should do that. But we have to change the law.

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 11:55 am

Comments

This is the big blotch on Welch to me. He did not walk the walk he talked on being a big fan of labor.

Comment by levivotedforjudy Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:08 pm
Keep up the pressure hope reporters also push Pritzker to enact redistricting reform as he promised before becoming governor

Comment by Macon Bakin Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:10 pm
he raises a process concern when the workers raise substance concerns

it’s obviously weak from Welch

Comment by Chicago Voter Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:18 pm
Is the Speaker trying to publicly blame the Senate on this? Although technically there is truth to the statement, I am sure President Harmon thought he was doing a favor for his colleague by putting a brick on the bill.

Comment by So Let Me Get This Straight Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:25 pm
This is a bad look. The Speaker will not win on this issue. If his issue is that he’s hamstrung by a law he really needs to do a better job explaining why that law has hamstrung him and how that law is constitutional.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:38 pm
The lawsuit was filed because the legislation has stalled in the Senate. If he really wanted to, Welch could use political capitol to work with the Senate and get this bill passed. Instead, he’s chosen to say “it’s out of my chamber, it’s out of my hands” and has forced the ILSA to seek relief in the courts. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Comment by Wisco Expat Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:48 pm
=He did not walk the walk he talked on being a big fan of labor=

Welch knows that legislative lip service is easy, directly dealing with a union as a leader of a company/unit of local govt/legislative group is another thing altogether.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:52 pm
===I am sure President Harmon thought he was doing a favor for his colleague===

Perhaps, but I think it was more about the drafting of the bill and its future impact on the Senate.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 12:53 pm
The Speaker can try to spin this however he wants but his actions make it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want a unionized staff, now or ever. The idea that he really wants to pass his bill but somehow can’t get the job done is not remotely credible. Even if that excuse was somehow legitimate, it wouldn’t say much for the Speaker’s effectiveness as a “big supporter of union rights.”

Comment by charles in charge Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 1:02 pm
Perfidy

Comment by Honeybear Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 1:10 pm
I wonder if the Speaker would have been better off arguing that his staff are in management or policy making positions and therefore not eligible to organize. That might be a politically problematic and legally-strained argument too, but seems like it would be a little more intellectually honest than what we’ve been hearing.

Comment by Timmy D Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 1:10 pm
Rich - good point. I overall think it is a bad idea on the Speakers part to call out the other chamber for not “fixing” the problem

Comment by So Let Me Get This Straight Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 1:14 pm
The staff union doesn’t want the bill the House passed:

In its lawsuit Friday, however, the association derided the bill itself, complaining it contained a “poison pill” in that it would force ILSA members to collectively bargain with Republican staff in the House. The association pointed out that GOP staffers are hired by a different employer and accused Welch of inserting that language “so as to make it potentially impossible for the Speaker to claim authority to conduct bargaining.”

https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/members-of-illinois-house-speaker-s-staff-sue-over-ongoing-unionization-conflict/article_c9c425b8-2037-11ef-a65a-ff7f35881329.html

Comment by For the Record Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 1:18 pm
==I think it was more about the drafting of the bill and its future impact on the Senate. ==

This is a big question for me; it’s Harmon’s bill now - why is he sitting on it? I feel like the two leaders are not willing to throw the other completely under the bus on this one. The Speaker is the one most often questioned on this; I’d like some answers from Harmon as well (and, let’s get the Republican leaders on the record as well, lol).

This should have been a negotiated, agreed bill; especially considering staff, who know how this works, are the focus. Who is opposed and why? I’m all in on collective bargaining; the leaders should be able to work this out.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 2:12 pm
==This should have been a negotiated, agreed bill==

. . . and it would have been if Welch and Harmon actually supported their staffs’ right to organize.

Comment by charles in charge Monday, Aug 19, 24 @ 2:47 pm