Author: Jerrica Hood

“The coming construction boom would build on the state’s existing role as a data center powerhouse. The Chicago region already ranks as the country’s third-largest data center market. Illinois as a whole ranks 10th among the states, with 19 data centers per 1 million people, according to the study. Of the 120,000 new jobs projected […]

“Every local community has to have their own voice and their own will expressed in these,” Robert Bruno, a University of Illinois professor who coauthored the report with ILEPI, said in an interview. “But as a possible source of revenue that could achieve a lot of good, it’s sizeable and it is a pretty reliable […]

“By raising the wage floor, collective bargaining benefits union and non-union workers alike,” said Robert Bruno, professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and director of the Project for Middle Class Renewal. “The data makes clear that a rising tide lifts all boats.” Read the full article.

“BP Whiting refinery lockout nears 6 months as union, oil giant remain at odds Nearly 800 workers remain locked out at BP’s Whiting refinery as the bitter labor dispute nears six months, raising questions about union power, refinery operations, and whether the standoff could become a major test for organized labor.” Watch the full interview.

“What seems to be the number one driver is the state of the state,” said one of the study authors, Robert Bruno, who leads the labor education program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “If the policy is anti-union, it suppresses worker will. Where the law allows worker will to flourish, as I would […]

The outcome of the standoff is pivotal because large industry players historically set standards in future labor talks, said Robert Bruno, director of the ​Labor Studies Program at the University of Illinois. “It just further underscores the importance of how this negotiation turns out and what share of the profits is going to ⁠be distributed […]

“Those include oil, natural gas, precious metals, plastics, and food. University of Illinois professor Robert Bruno says Illinoisans should prepare to spend thousands more per year on Canadian goods thanks to a new 50% tariff. “For every 1% increase in tariff, we would likely see costs go up per household roughly $300,” he said. “(The […]

“Although tariff proponents have claimed that the additional tax collected on imported goods would punish exporting countries, reliable studies have found that 90% – or more – of the higher cost is paid by the consumer, Bruno and Manzo said. They used 90% when making their calculations in what they described as a conservative choice. […]

MAAH Stone Book Award Shortlist 5 Books to Supercharge Your Skillset This Summer (American Planning Association) Central Illinois professor, author recognized for work 13 years in the making (WCIA)

“While loading an order only takes a few minutes, restaurants that receive lots of robot-delivered orders might have an incentive to outsource the task to DoorDash, said Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. DoorDash’s gig workers, who are independent contractors, don’t receive the same employee benefits […]