Tim Drea
By TIM DREA
President, Illinois AFL-CIO
Labor Day is more than a holiday. It’s a reminder that every workplace protection, every step toward fair wages, and every safety standard we enjoy today was fought for by generations of working people. And it’s a time to remember that those gains are never permanent unless we defend them.
Though this year brought many new challenges to worker safety at the federal level, the labor movement here in Illinois fought to ensure workers in our state would remain protected.
Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1976 and House Bill 1189 into law — measures our labor movement fought hard to pass — creating a legislative shield against the anti-worker agenda coming out of Washington. The Illinois Workers’ Rights and Worker Safety Act (SB 1976) ensures that in the face of federal rollbacks to workers’ rights, Illinois workers will still be afforded the hard-fought, long-established workplace protections they’ve relied on for decades.
This law requires state agencies to replace any diminished federal workplace standards with new state protections if the federal government removes or revises rules under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, or Mine Health and Safety Act. Illinois will establish and enforce the stronger protections established under previous administrations as a minimum. This act ensures a safeguard for Illinois workers across all sectors through our nation’s current period of instability.
Put simply, SB 1976 locks in the hard-won rights we have today, guarantees we won’t fall below them, and leaves the door open for Illinois to keep leading the nation in worker protections.
The Strengthening the Prevailing Wage Act (HB 1189) closes a loophole that allowed federally funded projects to pay workers at lower rates than state funded ones.
Prevailing wage laws make sure workers on public projects are paid fair, collectively bargained wages that reflect the skills and dangers of the job.
With the passage of HB 1189, any federal construction project administered or controlled by a public body must pay the higher of the state or federal prevailing wage for the same type of construction in the same locality. If Illinois’ prevailing wage rate is greater — as it often is — our workers will earn that rate, regardless of where the funding comes from. This means more money in the pockets for Illinois families and fairer competition among contractors who play by the rules. The law took effect July 1.
The current administration in Washington has made it clear that it does not stand with American workers. Donald Trump and his cronies are lining their pockets at the expense of working families. The administration has fired thousands of workers that enforce OSHA standards, weakening the programs and laws that ensure we can return home safely to our loved ones. SB 1976 and HB 1189 are Illinois’ answer to federal attacks: You may try to lower the floor, but in the land of Lincoln, we’re building the ceiling higher.
Labor Day is about honoring the dignity of work, reminding us that life really is better in a union. These two laws make that dignity real — in every paycheck, every safe job site, and every workplace where rights are protected no matter who lives in the White House.
As president of the Illinois AFL-CIO, I’m proud of what we accomplished together. But I also recognize that our opponents aren’t going away. The rights we’ve secured are only as strong as our commitment to defend them.
This Labor Day, let’s celebrate — and organize. Let’s thank the leaders who stood with us on SB 1976 and HB 1189 and hold them to the promise of enforcement. Let’s keep building Illinois into the safest, fairest, most worker-friendly state in the country.
The fight continues. But thanks to these laws, Illinois workers are not just on defense. We’re leading the way forward. It’s better in a union.
Region: Metro East,Feeds,Business,Metro East,City: St. Louis, MO
via Illinois Business Journal https://ift.tt/YS0xlh3
August 25, 2025 at 02:11PM
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