Union leaders named to Illinois employment board

By CARL GREEN
Illinois Correspondent

Springfield, IL – Three veteran union leaders have been appointed to the Illinois Employment Security Advisory Board by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, including Tim Drea, secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO.

Pritzker said he was building a diverse team of experts in their fields. The advisory board has 12 members, including four to represent workers and four to represent employers. It is separate from the Board of Review, which has five members. The appointments are pending Senate confirmation.

Drea has been in his post at the AFL-CIO since April 2016 and previously was legislative and political director for UFCW Local 881 for 11 years. He first worked as a miner at Peabody Coal and completed his degree from Sangamon State University in Springfield after honorable discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1979.

Pritzker also appointed John Gedney, of Rockford, a political and legislative representative for the United Auto Workers, who earlier worked as an assembler for Chrysler for 25 years; and Joanna Webb-Gauvin, legislative director for AFSCME Council 31, the statewide public service union representing 75,000 workers and 25,000 retirees. She graduated from Western Illinois University.

The department administers unemployment benefits, runs the state employment service and Illinois Job Bank and publishes labor market information.