Illinois State AFL-CIO

We love pizza as much as the next person — this is Illinois after all: home of Chicago pizza. 🍕

But no amount of boss-sponsored pepperoni can compete with a union contract.

We’ll take fair wages, health care, protections, and dignity over a lukewarm pizza party every time.

The Supreme Court’s latest ruling is already reshaping American democracy.

By weakening key protections in the Voting Rights Act, the Court has opened the door to aggressive gerrymandering across the South. Alabama can now eliminate a majority-Black district, Tennessee has split its only majority-Black seat, and Louisiana is advancing maps that could erase another.

This isn’t just a Southern issue. It’s part of a broader push that threatens decades of progress in Black representation, which many of us here in Illinois have spent our entire lives fighting for.

It undermines a core promise of democracy: that every vote counts and every community has a voice. It's an unfortunate reminder that voting rights aren’t guaranteed.

https://ow.ly/q3EB50Z1JRo

The music industry has a streaming problem.

While Spotify generated roughly $19 billion in revenue last year, artists earned about $0.003 per stream — less than a third of a penny. Even worse, streaming platforms use algorithms that can bury artists' work unless they accept lower royalty rates in exchange for promotion.

That's not innovation. That's exploitation.

Hear from IL AFL-CIO Vice President and CFM 10-208 Secretary-Treasurer Karen Suarez-Flint on the America's Workforce Podcast: 🎧👇

https://ow.ly/gBVj50Z7nEn

TOMORROW: Join the Chicago Federation of Labor at 1 p.m. at the VOCO for a roundtable conversation to discuss how organizers can continue to protect workers from the rise of exploitation during the Trump Administration.

This event is hybrid. Scan the QR Code below to register!

Workers fought tirelessly to pass a transportation bill that would fund our systems well into the future. Today, the Northern Illinois Transportation Act takes effect. This landmark piece of legislation that would not have been possible without the hundreds of workers who shared their stories with the public, the Illinois General Assembly taking the time to listen and meet with workers, and the workers, advocates and legislators that came together to put forward policy suggestions that is now law.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/06/01/transit-funding-legislation/

Collective bargaining remains the best tool against discrimination of any kind, which is why we fight so that working people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions can enjoy the protections of a union contract. From Bayard Rustin’s central role in the March on Washington to the ongoing advocacy of Pride at Work, LGBTQ+ workers have always been and always will be a central part of our labor movement.

Government works best when elected officials and their constituents meet face to face, share their concerns, and hammer out solutions together.

That's why IBEW 197 hosted U.S. Senator Dick Durbin -- while Durbin may be nearing the end of the term, he will always be a champion for working people and has stood with union workers throughout his entire career.

Thank you, Senator, for all you do to fight for the middle class.

Brandi Johnson, a senior from Lewistown Community High School, is the newest member of our Illinois labor movement. Brandi reminds us that there are various pathways to financial security and a fulfilling career beyond college. After deciding she wanted a hands on career, Brandi signed a commitment to join IUPAT District Council 30’s Apprenticeship Program and Local 157.

We’re excited to see what's next for Brandi!

Four days until the Illinois General Assembly adjourns — and from now until midnight on May 31, it’s game on.

We’re fighting for:
➡️ An end to surveillance pricing
➡️ Fixing our unemployment system so excluded workers — including many of our most vulnerable and lowest-paid workers — finally get the support they deserve
➡️ Critical infrastructure improvements that create good, middle-class union jobs
➡️ Equitable housing that puts working families first

Follow along at ILGA.gov — and give us a wave if you see us running around the Capitol.

Most of us have seen digital screens replacing printed price tags in grocery stores.

Retailers say electronic shelf labels (ESLs) improve pricing accuracy and make updates more efficient for employees.

What they don’t talk about is how this technology enables “surveillance pricing” — using consumer data, demographics, and shopping behavior to influence prices in real time.

That same carton of milk could cost $3.50 on the North Side of Chicago, but $5.00 across town at the exact same store and at the exact same time.

Same product. Same chain. Different neighborhood. Price gauging brought to you by surveillance pricing.

https://civileats.com/2026/05/19/union-seeks-ban-on-surveillance-pricing-at-grocery-stores/