Policy Reports

In 2022 Illinois became the fifth state to pass a Constitutional Amendment protecting the rights of workers. Unlike other states, however, Illinois voters passed a ballot measure to create what is arguably the strongest constitutional provisions protecting collective bargaining in the country. PMCR presents two thought pieces on the Amendment.  
The first paper, by Professor Matt Finkin, includes an explanation of the need for a statute or constitutional right situating worker collective representation in the political climate that has prevailed in the country since labor-hostile Republican legislatures took control of state houses in 2010. The second is a brief commentary by Dave Amerson, Staff Attorney for the Illinois Police Benevolent and Protective Association. Amerson is not hedging. The Worker Rights Amendment is a game changer or in his opinion, it should be.
Read the full piece here.

Welcome to our first fact sheet documenting strikes by union and nonunion workers across Illinois. These data are derived from the Labor Action Tracker, a project started in 2021 that comprehensively documents strike activity in the United States. As of January 2024, the Labor Action Tracker is a joint project between Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the University of Illinois’ School of Labor and Employment Relations.
In this report you will find important information about strikes in Illinois between 2021 and 2023. Workers in Illinois organized 77 strikes involving approximately 25,820 participants from 2021 to 2023. Major findings include an uptick in the number of strikes from 2021 to 2023, with a particularly large increase in the number of workers on strike in 2023. More strikes occurred in the accommodation and food services sector than any other industry, though more workers were on strike in manufacturing than any other industry.
Read the full report here.

Bipartisan public approval of labor unions remains near historic highs. Data shows that unions boost workers earnings, expand health insurance coverage, and improve access to paid leave. Though the unionization rate fell nationally, the United States added union members in 2023 for the second consecutive year.
The United States added 135,000 new union members in 2023, following a gain of 277,000 union members in 2022.
Illinois and the Chicago area both experienced small declines in unionization in 2023.
Overall employment has grown faster than total union membership, causing unionization rates both nationally and in Illinois to fall to their lowest levels in ten years.
Read the full report here.

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) underwent a significant transformation under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP-CTC) from July to December 2021, becoming a near-universal child allowance. The expanded CTC represented a significant milestone in US social policy, included increasing the maximum annual benefit size, making the benefit fully refundable, and converting the annual payment to monthly payments. This expansion provided monthly cash payments to most low-and middle-income households with children, impacting over 61.2 million children in the US (U.S. Department of Treasury, 2021). However, after the ARP-CTC expired, the proposed extension in the Build Back Better Act was not passed in the Senate, leading the CTC to revert to its former state with a maximum benefit of $2,000 paid in a lump sum during the tax refund period. As of 2023, 15 states had implemented CTC each with differing benefit amounts and eligibility criteria. Additionally, approximately 14 other states were exploring the possibility of establishing their own CTC programs (Manzo, Bellisle, & Bruno, 2024).
Read the full report here.

Current wage equity issues exist in Illinois, especially among women, Black, and
Hispanic workers. Policymakers must address gender/racial wage gap issues to enhance the
state’s overall social equity and inclusiveness. To help policymakers achieve this goal, this Project
for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) report based on 2018-2022 data from the American Community
Survey (ACS) reveals several key findings about Illinois’ wage gaps.
Read full report here.

In July 2021, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 3940, amending the Motor Vehicle Franchise Act to ensure that auto mechanics at Illinois’ car dealerships earn equal pay for equal work.
The bipartisan law, which is also referred to as the Multiplier Act, passed 85-24 in the House and 58-0 in the Senate. It removed a two-tiered compensation system in which certified technicians earned below-market rates for auto repair work that is covered under warranty. Prior to the law’s passage, the difference between warranty rates and customer-paid retail rates negatively impacted the earnings potential of skilled auto mechanics in Illinois, contributing to high turnover and a shortage of qualified technicians at car dealerships. The Multiplier Act aimed to combat this labor shortage by requiring automakers to fully fund warranty repair services at dealerships. It went into effect on January 1, 2022.
Read full report here.

For over two years, the COVID-19 pandemic stressed nurses and tested their skills and stamina. Preexisting nursing shortages deepened, leading to heightened workloads and severe burnout among nurses. Now, in the aftermath of COVID, a new survey reveals a continuing crisis of nurses’ mental and physical well-being, patient care quality, and the overall public health infrastructure of Illinois. Results from a survey of 385 registered nurses conducted in early October of 2022 to February of 2023, reinforce findings from prior surveys highlighting a distressing situation in Illinois’ healthcare system.
Read full report here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the Illinois educational workforce, creating a complex interplay between public health measures, individual autonomy, and union dynamics. This report, based on a survey of Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) members, highlights these multifaceted responses to vaccine mandates and the intricate position of teachers’ unions during these unprecedented times.
Read full report here.

A Child Tax Credit is a credit for each child or dependent that households can claim on tax returns. The federal Child Tax Credit covers children under 17 years old and was temporarily expanded in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan Act. The expanded Child Tax Credit increased the amount of the credit, included 17-year-olds, introduced monthly payments to eligible households, and was made refundable, significantly increasing tax refunds for low- and middle-income families. With the expanded federal credit expiring but polls showing broad public approval of the policy, at least 14 states—including Illinois—have considered implementing their own Child Tax Credits. Currently, 15 states have enacted Child Tax Credits.
Read full report here.

In November 2022, Illinois voters approved the Workers’ Rights Amendment, guaranteeing the fundamental right of workers to unionize and bargain collectively. The Amendment passed with 2.2 million votes, receiving 59 percent approval on the question and 53 percent yes votes among all ballots cast.
In the summer of 2023, the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conducted an online survey of 970 rank-and-file union members in Illinois who voted in the 2022 midterm election to assess how they voted on the Workers’ Rights Amendment. The margin of error was ±3.1 percent.
Read full report here.