Gov. Pritzker Signs Bills to Protect Illinois Workers

SPRINGFIELD- Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined state legislators, labor leaders, and union members to sign a bill package protecting Illinois workers and supporting organized labor. Held at the Illinois AFL-CIO headquarters in Springfield, the bill signing reaffirmed Governor Pritzker’s support for working families across the state alongside the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL). SB1976, HB1189, and HB2488 preserve current pay standards and worker protections against federal rollbacks from the Trump Administration.

“Our state stands up for the hard-won advances made for our workers. The Pullman Strikes, the Haymarket Affair—it has been the working men and women of this state that have led the charge of progress not just for Illinois, but for the entire nation,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This legislation protects Illinois workers from the Trump administration’s assault on labor, because our workers can’t afford to be subject to the whims of corruption and chaos in Washington. Today, we continue our progress to make Illinois the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family.”

“When we defend the rights of workers, we defend the rights of all. When we improve conditions for workers, we are directly impacting the quality-of-life for families, women, children, and everyone else in our state,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “That’s what today is really about – celebrating Illinois’ dedication to doing right by the people who keep us moving forward.”

SB1976, also known as the Illinois Workers’ Rights and Safety Act, was an initiative by Illinois AFL-CIO and IDOL to preserve worker protections set forth under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act—regardless of any federal rollbacks. This legislation is crucial to ensure that long-established worker protections remain intact in Illinois, especially in the face of persistent federal threats to workers' rights. The law also requires the Illinois Department of Labor to replace any repealed federal occupational safety standard with a state standard to protect workers across the state.

HB1189 amends the Prevailing Wage Act, to ensure that when federal construction projects are administered by a state or local government, workers are paid the Illinois prevailing wage whenever it is higher than the federal rate. This ensures timely, fair compensation that reflects current local labor conditions, rather than waiting for federal adjustments.

HB2488, which the Governor signed previously but was highlighted at today’s ceremony, eliminates references to a federal program in the Equal Pay Act to ensure that federal changes do not undermine the state requirement that private employers with 100 or more employees report on employee wages by gender and race or ethnicity. The bill also clarifies that apprentices are not subject to a lower fringe benefit rate than journeymen under the Prevailing Wage Act.

“At the Illinois Department of Labor, we are committed to protecting the safety and economic security of Illinois workers,” said Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan. “At a time when federal labor enforcement has diminished and workers’ rights face new threats, the work we do every day to uphold Illinois workplace protections has never been more vital.”

“Every day, we see President Trump roll back the protections and rights that working people in the labor movement have spent decades fighting for,” said IL AFL-CIO President Tim Drea. “In 2022, Illinois voters enshrined the Workers’ Rights Amendment into the Illinois Constitution. Today, we continue these efforts by putting workers’ first and telling the White House that all workers deserve a safe and fair workplace. ​ We applaud Governor Pritzker, Senator Peters and House Assistant Majority Leader Evans for ensuring that Illinois workers continue to be protected in the workplace.”

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