By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – Announcing the largest multi-year transportation plan in state history, Gov. JB Pritzker (at lectern) responded to a reporter’s question about the pace of construction in the state.
“Early on in the pandemic, it made it easier for work to be done, because there were fewer cars on the highways,” said Pritzker at Illinois Department of Transportation headquarters in Springfield. “It was also the initial part of not only covid, but the Rebuild Illinois (capital construction) plan. But then, we also have the strain on the labor supply.”
Speaking of labor, Illinois AFL-CIO president Tim Drea was in on the celebration.
“This is more than just asphalt. This is more than just new rail. This is more than a runway at an airport. This is about the opportunities that this program creates for a diverse workforce with high wages, middle-class wages, health care, and retirement security.
“That says a whole lot.”
Dave Dahl can be reached at news@wjbc.com.
