Illinois Laborers' Legislative Committee

Thank you, Governor JB Pritzker, for approving House Bill 252, sponsored by Will Guzzardi and Cristina Castro, which closes a loophole in Illinois law that left tens of thousands of workers unprotected against employment discrimination.
Previously, the provisions of the Illinois Human Rights Act addressing discrimination in employment only applied to employers with 15 or more workers, with limited exceptions. The new law brings the State of Illinois in line with 17 other states and territories that prohibit discrimination at all workplaces, including fellow Midwestern states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Similar legislation was passed by the General Assembly in 2018, but was vetoed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner.
“The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on a number of factors, such as gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and more, but that protection was limited. It is an embarrassment that, until now, countless Illinoisans who have been discriminated against at work had no way to seek justice, simply because of how many coworkers they have,” said Anna Koeppel, LiUNA Midwest Region Assistant Director of Governmental Affairs. “We thank the Governor and the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Will Guzzardi and Sen. Cristina Castro, for once again standing with working people and righting this wrong. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and appropriately at work.”

Illinois Department of Human Rights

Thank you to the legislators, including State Representative Tim Butler, who voted YES for a $45 billion Capital Bill to fix our crumbling roads and put Laborers to work!

LiUNA members recently traveled to Washington, DC to encourage lawmakers to invest in rebuilding our nation's roads, bridges, energy infrastructure and to protect our pension funds. Watch GP Terry O'Sullivan's video message about the Lobby Day...

LIUNA's 2019 Lobby Day LIUNA General President Terry O'Sullivan with a message on the annual LIUNA Lobby Day.

A new law is clearing the way for more wind farm work in Illinois! Thank you to JB Pritzker for signing it, and thank you to Ann M. Williams - State Representative and Senator Bill Cunningham for sponsoring this important legislation that will help create good jobs for Laborers. https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/illinois-law-streamlines-zoning-process-for-wind-farms

A big "Thank you!" to Gov. JB Pritzker for signing the Collective Bargaining Freedom Act on Friday. This law, sponsored by State Senator Ram Villivalam and State Representative Lance Yednock, makes it clear that local governments cannot pass Right-to-Work (for Less) laws that are meant to hurt workers and weaken unions. We appreciate all that Gov. Pritzker, Sen. Villivalam and Rep. Yednock do to fight for working families.

Pritzker signs law barring local right-to-work zones Gov. J.B Pritzker on Friday signed legislation barring local governments from establishing right-to-work zones, areas where people can work for a company

Here is a link to a (7 page) list of school district applications for state construction funding assistance. The State, when it has money for a construction program, typically provides about half of the project funding. The last state construction program was passed in 2009.

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Committees in both the Illinois House and Senate are conducting hearings to identify Illinois' backlog of road, bridge, school and other infrastructure projects. This Decatur Herald & Review article gives an overview of the growing need for school construction projects around the state.

Illinois schools hungry for capital-program funding NEW BERLIN, Ill. (AP) — Outside the wide, well-lit hallways of the New Berlin Elementary School, there's a roomy expanse of school district-owned farmland, and to the south of that,

Gov. JB Pritzker continues to show his support for working people by proposing a tax break for 97% of Illinois taxpayers while asking people who are paid more than $1 million per year to pay their fair share.

Thank you to Rep. Will Guzzardi and State Senator Kimberly A. Lightford for fighting to raise the minimum wage to $15/hr by 2025, and thank you to Gov. JB Pritzker for making this issue one of your first priorities. This increase in the minimum wage will inject more money into our local economies and benefit ALL workers. Illinois is back on the side of working families and we know there are more great things to come!

The Illinois House of Representatives is now considering passage of , which would increase the state's from $8.25 to $15 per hour over 6 years.

The Illinois Senate just voted to give 1.4 Illinoisans a raise by supporting Gov JB Pritzker's campaign promise of increasing the by a vote of 39-18. SB1 increases the minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 per hour over 6 years. It now goes to the Illinois House for consideration.