Posts tagged J.B. Pritzker
Unions’ 2024 maneuvering leaves some feeling conflicted
June 27, 2023 // Organized labor is dear to the president’s political heart and is set to play a major role in next August’s Democratic National Convention, particularly as union considerations were one of the decisive reasons why party leaders chose Chicago to host the event over Atlanta, another finalist. But that rosy depiction, somewhat by design, glosses over the full picture. Not every union — despite what Biden told reporters last Saturday — is behind him. The United Mine Workers of America and United Auto Workers are among the notable holdouts. Their leaders have expressed harsh words about some of the administration’s policy decisions (more on that lower down.) Additionally, the selection of Chicago for the convention reopened old wounds for some union hands, given the heavy involvement of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire heir of the family that controls the Hyatt hotel chain.
Op-Ed: The Chicago Teachers Union now runs the mayor’s office
April 13, 2023 // CTU leadership’s brand of union politics has little to do with students and teacher representation and more to do with an expansive political agenda that includes defunding the police, hiking taxes (on “the rich,” broadly), and pumping more city resources into the Chicago Public Schools system, where classroom spending is way up and student outcomes way down since the Caucus of Rank and File Educators rose to power. Since 2010, CTU has drawn the blueprint for how to seize control over America’s largest cities. The union runs the schools, holding as hostage Chicago kids and families whenever union bosses are unhappy with management. They also donate to the bulk of the Chicago City Council, having contributed financially to 34 of Chicago’s 50 current aldermen. But their reach expands beyond the city to politicians in the Illinois statehouse. In total, CTU since 2010 has spent at least $19 million on politics in Illinois, including over $2.5 million to Illinois Senate and House candidates.
New Illinois law mandates paid leave ‘for any reason’
March 14, 2023 // Starting Jan. 1, Illinois employers must offer workers paid time off based on hours worked, with no need to explain the reason for their absence as long as they provide notice in accordance with reasonable employer standards. Just Maine and Nevada mandate earned paid time off and allot employees the freedom to decide how to use it, but Illinois’ law is further reaching, unencumbered by limits based on business size. Similarly structured regulations that require employers to offer paid sick leave exist in 14 states and Washington, D.C., but workers can only use that for health-related reasons.
PRITZKER SIGNS BILL ALLOWING CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRINCIPALS TO UNIONIZE
February 13, 2023 // Chicago Public Schools principals already make nearly 30% more than their peers in the rest of the state. A newly signed law allows them to unionize and push for even more. Gov. J.B. Pritzker just signed a bill allowing principals within Chicago Public Schools to unionize and bargain. While supervisory employees have not traditionally had a right to unionize, House Bill 5107 redefines who constitutes a “managerial employee” within CPS. Under the new language, only those who negotiate with unions or formulate district-wide policies are prohibited from unionizing.
Chicago Principals A Step Closer To Unionizing As Bill Moves To Illinois Governor’s Desk
January 10, 2023 // Chicago’s principals have been unable to unionize because they were considered managerial employees under state law. HB 5107 changes the definition of managerial employees to district employees who have a significant role in the negotiations of collective bargaining agreements or who create employer-wide management policies and practices. The Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, a professional membership organization that advocates for issues affecting principals and administrators, has fought for years for this change. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Robert Peters,
3RD ANNIVERSARY OF 2019 CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION STRIKE GIVES GLIMPSE OF AMENDMENT 1
October 19, 2022 // The Chicago Teachers Union has a history of demanding contract provisions far beyond wages and benefits. If Amendment 1 passes in November, government unions such as CTU will have a right to demand virtually anything and go on strike to get those demands met.
Two states, two visions for the future of labor “Right-to-work” is on the ballot.
October 3, 2022 // Two economic papers published in the last year also reached different conclusions about the consequences of right-to-work laws. The first found right-to-work laws associated with increased manufacturing employment, increased employment, and greater upward mobility. The second found that right-to-work laws lower wages and unionization rates.
Illinois continues to lag national unemployment rate
August 23, 2022 // "The pandemic and the financial impact from the pandemic, compounded with unemployment, has made people more vulnerable," Ford said. "In the communities that have been traumatized by these issues, you will see more violence." State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Teutopolis, blamed the state's handling of its unemployment fund for its failure to get people back to work. "For nearly two years, people could make more and stay home," Niemerg told The Center Square. "What did they think would happen?" Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub, State Rep. LaShawn Ford
Illinois Excludes Employees Subject to CBA Provisions from ‘One Day Rest in Seven’ Requirements
June 8, 2022 // Illinois had amended its “One Day Rest in Seven” Act (ODRISA) to impose additional meal period, day of rest, and notice requirements on employers, and to significantly increase the potential civil penalties for violations of the Act (see our article, Illinois Amends ‘One Day Rest in Seven’ Law, With Significant Revisions). A companion bill to these amendments, signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker on May 27, 2022, adds to the list of employees exempt from the law’s day-of-rest requirements those “for whom work hours, days of work, and rest periods are established through the collective bargaining process.” ODRISA,
HOW AMENDMENT 1 COULD GIVE ILLINOIS MORE ARSONISTS AS FIRE CHIEFS
May 27, 2022 // Analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute shows the language of the amendment would allow abuses of unionization and collective bargaining rights to nullify more than 350 existing state statutes. The amendment creates new threats for a wide variety of sectors, including policing, child care services and education. The impact of Amendment 1 would likely be felt by virtually all Illinoisans – including children.