Illinois senators oppose right-to-work

Springfield, IL –Democrats in the Illinois Senate have vowed to block any plans by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and Republicans in the state legislature to pass right-to-work (RTW) legislation.

And with Democrats still in control of the Illinois House and Senate, they are likely to succeed, at least for now.

LOWERS WAGES

A University of Illinois study Robert Bruno, professor of labor relations at the university of Illinois, and Frank Manzo IV, policy director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, shows RTW lowers wages and benefits, and increases reliance on public assistance.

Bruno and Manzo concluded that if Illinois had adopted RTW in 2013, the need for government assistance including food stamps would have increased by $440 million because of lower pay and lost worker protections.

Indiana and Michigan passed RTWin 2012 and Missouri and Wisconsin are expected to take up up this year.

“The Midwest was once the hub of the labor movement, but many neighboring states spent the past few decades enacting policies that lead to slashed employee benefits, decreased wages and outsourced jobs,” said State Sen. Andy Manar (D–Bunker Hill).

“These shortsighted policies cripple working-class families, which ultimately places a greater burden on our middle class.”

BUILT BY UNIONS

Sen. Gary Forby (D-Benton), chair of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, said Illinois’ middle class was built by unions.

“They ensure working men and women receive honest pay for an honest day’s work,” Forby said. “I don’t understand why some politicians push so hard to take that away.”