D’Amico Denounces Rauner’s Rejection of Protections for Working Families

CHICAGO – State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, is denouncing Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of legislation that would improve protections for working men and women across Illinois.

 “Gov. Rauner’s veto represents a continued attack by billionaires and corporations seeking to pad their profits through slashing the wages and benefits of working families,” D’Amico said. “The governor sees a conflict between protecting Illinois workers’ ability to negotiate fair wages and decent health care and his business pals being able to increase their profits even further.”

The D’Amico-backed Senate Bill 1905 would stop local governments from enacting ordinances imposing restrictions on labor organizations in order to reduce the wages and negotiating power of the employees they represent. Traditionally, states that have implemented anti-worker laws like those Rauner’s veto enables have generally witnessed a decline in union membership while simultaneously experiencing a more inequitable distribution in wealth, as the middle class receives less of the gains from a growing economy relative to the wealthiest Americans.

“Unions are one of the reasons our country has been able to build a robust middle class,” D’Amico continued. “If we are going to rebuild our middle class and grow our economy, we will need strong unions to lead the charge.”