Ortíz-Backed Legislation Protecting Workers Now Law

CHICAGO – State Rep. Aarón Ortíz, D-Chicago, continued to put working families first in his legislative priorities, passing two new laws to advance the right to unionize and equal treatment of freelance workers. 

“My top priority in Springfield was to make sure workers in both my community and those across Illinois can count on basic protections in their workplace, and these two laws make sure of that,” Ortíz said. “As a former CPS counselor, I know how important having a support system in your workplace is to doing your job, so I worked with my colleagues to guarantee that charter school administrations cannot block their staff from unionizing, should they choose to do so.”

Ortíz’s House Bill 1120 builds on the gains from the recently-approved Workers Rights Amendment and requires charter renewals for charter schools to include a union neutrality clause. The lack of union representation in charter schools means teachers and staff cannot represent themselves and demand better treatment when issues arise. 

Ortíz also championed House Bill 1122, building on his commitment to empowering every worker in Illinois. The legislation encourages fairer compensation, more transparency in employment documentation, and more proactivity on the part of employers to correct potential inequities. 

“Temporary workers make up a large, and growing, number of our state’s workforce, but they lack the guarantees that full-time workers at the same job have,” Ortíz said. “House Bill 1122 puts everyone on an equal footing, and gives us a foundation to build on in future legislation. I am thankful to Governor Pritzker for signing these bills and working with us to build a better, pro-worker Illinois.” 

For more information on these and other legislation, visit ilga.gov. 

###