UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Higher earnings for Illinois workers resulting from a minimum wage increase stand to have impacts on their ability to sustain families and cover expenses. The greatest impact, however, might be in housing affordability. Housing costs, whether in the form of rent or mortgage payments and maintenance costs, make up the largest monthly expense for most … Read more
Fast food workers in Chicago suffer from the uncertainty of not knowing how many hours they will work in any given week and the lack of autonomy to voice their concerns without fear of reprisal. Unstable schedules lead to tangible income insecurity and the inability for workers to obtain supplemental employment or even attend schooling … Read more
The Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act, 30 ILCS 570/0.01 et seq. (Illinois Preference Act), also known as the “Preference to Illinois Citizens Act”, requires contractors to use at least 90 percent Illinois laborers on all public works projects that receive State funds or funds administered by the State during a period of … Read more
PERPETUAL STATE BUDGET DEFICITS and mounting debt have re-ignited claims that repeal of Illinois’ prevailing wage provisions will cut public construction costs and save taxpayers money. Critics of prevailing wage laws (PWLs) assert they inflate the costs of government contracts by compensating labor at levels higher than market wages. Contrary to opponents’ claims, findings from … Read more
PERPETUAL STATE BUDGET DEFICITS and mounting debt have re-ignited claims that repeal of Illinois’ prevailing wage provisions will cut public construction costs and save taxpayers money. Critics of prevailing wage laws (PWLs) assert they inflate the costs of government contracts by compensating labor at levels higher than market wages. Contrary to opponents’ claims, findings from … Read more
The 9 million-job shortfall induced by the late-2007 economic recession has caused states to rethink policies on employment and income growth. One proposed policy change in many struggling states is the implementation of right-to-work (RTW) laws, which limit the ability of labor unions to collect dues from the workers they represent and influence the conditions … Read more
“Eighty percent of the manufacturing companies in the United States say they cannot find enough workers with the proper skills to fill open positions at their facilities.” –President Barack Obama, announcing the Military-to-Civilian Skills Certification Program in June of 2012.Many corporate executives and politicians in Illinois purport that the state’s workforce does not have the … Read more
In the winter and spring of 2012, the Labor Education Program of the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois conducted surveys of 204 employees at 57 car washes in Chicago. Surveys captured detailed information about wage and hour violations, occupational health and safety violations, and overall working conditions in the … Read more
In the winter and spring of 2012, the Labor Education Program of the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois conducted surveys of 204 employees at 57 car washes in Chicago. Surveys captured detailed information about wage and hour violations, occupational health and safety violations, and overall working conditions in the … Read more
In the fall of 2011, the Labor Education Program of the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois conducted surveys of 200 employees working in passenger services occupations at Midway and O’Hare airports in Chicago. These workers push wheelchairs, move baggage, drive shuttles, clean airplane cabins, greet passengers, verify passenger tickets, … Read more
