HJR 45
Erosion of Collective Bargaining in Illinois
OPPOSE
Summary: HJR 45 would unnecessarily insert the General Assembly in the collective bargaining process between the Executive branch and the organizations that represent its employees.
HJR 45 Would Severely Erode Collective Bargaining
HJR45 strikes at the heart of collective bargaining by replacing management authority with legislative politicking. By establishing an annual cap on wage increases, lawmakers would be tying the hands of state negotiators and assuming the de facto authority to set wages, which that has been repeatedly established by the courts as a mandatory subject for collective bargaining.
HJR 45 Would Mean State Agency Chaos
HJR 45 would undermine decades of stable labor relations in Illinois and insert lawmakers in dozens of contract negotiations. At the same time, setting limits on wage increases annually would negate multi-year collective bargaining agreements, throwing labor relations in state government into constant turmoil and endless litigation.
HJR 45 Would Strip Executive Authority over Labor Relations
HJR 45 would handcuff management negotiators seeking future cost-savings by eliminating their ability to bargain for concessions in return for avoiding layoffs. Local governments throughout Illinois as well as other state executives elsewhere have regularly used such agreements to reduce labor costs in times of economic stress, just as Governor Quinn did in 2010.
HJR 45 Would Punish the Lowest Wage Workers that Provide State Services
By setting a percentage cap on wage increases, those earning the lowest wages would continually be forced to accept the lowest raises. Many state workers, particularly those providing human services, are paid near poverty-level wages. HJR 45 would relegate those employees to permanent substandard wages.
HJR 45 threatens the security of Illinois’ children and people with disabilities.
People with disabilities and their families depend on their home care workers to maintain their independence in their homes and communities. Parents depend on child care workers to care for their kids while they hold down a job. Low wages lead to turnover, causing instability in the services that help parents remain employed and people with disabilities to live independently.
