Labor union membership in Illinois grew last year

Posted on September 8, 2022
Executive Director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute Frank Manzo IV. (Facebook/Illinois Economic Policy Institute)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Labor union membership in Illinois grew by about 16,000 last year, compared to the year before.

Frank Manzo IV, executive director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, says his report could support an argument for a constitutional amendment on the Illinois ballot this fall.

“The Workers’ Rights Amendment would guarantee the fundamental right of all workers to unionize and collectively bargain,” said Manzo. “By preventing politicians from enacting laws that interfere with the private negotiations of businesses and their workers, the amendment would protect middle-class wages and benefits, promote workplace safety, and ensure job quality in the state of Illinois.”

Manzo says the growth is really in the private sector but the first growth in both Illinois and Chicago since 2017. He says the last few years have put a spotlight on “job quality.”

The State of the Unions 2022 (wordpress.com)

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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