Senate Bill 248 sponsored by Senator Ronen would prohibit the construction of supercenters if the store is in excess of 100,000 square feet and will dedicate more than 15 percent of its floor space to the sale of food or drug. This legislation is a sensible solution to protect Illinois workers, communities, and business owners from the negative effects of unfair competition by big box retailers. It will help protect your Union wages, benefits, and jobs by protecting your employer.
Because this legislation would pertain to local governmental powers, a 3/5 majority (60 percent) vote of the Illinois Senate was required. Although this issue protects small businesses, Republican lawmakers refused to support it and there weren't enough votes to pass it with only the Democrats.
At the end of the spring legislative session, SB 248 was on 3rd Reading in the Illinois Senate. This enables your Union to continue educating lawmakers on the devastating effects super stores have on the economy of Illinois workers, small business owners, and communities. It also allows us to move the legislation forward this fall during Veto Session.
Big box retailers are lowering the standard of living for all retail workers. When a big box store enters a market, existing workers suffer a reduction in hours, wages, and benefits due to the predatory practices of the big box retailer.
Every time we sit down at the bargaining table, your employer asks us what we are doing about the expansion of non-union super centers. SB 248 is just one way that Local 881 is attempting to safeguard your employer along with your job and benefits. Unfortunately, only two Local 881 employers are voicing their support of this legislation: Schnucks, Inc. and Merwyn Sher, owner of Hart Food & Drug in O'Fallon, IL.
Call to Action: Contact your employer and your Illinois legislators to encourage them to support SB 248 to protect your job and your family's standard of living. It is critical that Local 881 members get involved in this issue. Your job may depend on it!
To find out who your legislators are, visit www.elections.state.il.us and click on find districts/officials or call 217/544-0555.
For more information on legislative or political issues,
contact Tim Drea at 630/954-1800, ext. 367.
SB 881 (Senator Link/Representative Lang sent to the Governor) Creates an income tax check-off on the Illinois 1040 Tax Form allowing taxpayers to make contributions to the Leukemia Research and Treatment Fund.
SB 1740 (Held in Senate Rules Committee) Local 881 was able to defeat this legislation that would have allowed the Village of Crestwood to quick take property from a small business owner for the construction of a Wal-Mart.
SB 600 (Senator Lightford/Speaker Madigan - passed both houses) Increases the Illinois Minimum Wage from $5.15 per hour to $5.50 on 1/1/04 and from $5.50 to $6.50 on 1/1/05.
HB 60 (Senator Munoz/Representative Acevedo - Public Act 93-0007) Signed into law in May, this bill guarantees that a non-citizen individual may pay in-state tuition to a college or university if certain state residency requirements have been met.
Fish Co-op Appropriation: Local 881 lobbied the Governor, Senate President Jones, Speaker Madigan and Department of Agriculture Director, Chuck Hartke to preserve the coninuing appropriation to the Illinois Fish Farmers Co-op. Although, many business interests lost most of their tax subsidies, the Fish Farmers Co-op Appropriation was only cut by $50,000. Keeping the appropriation saved 36 Local 881 jobs at the recently organized Prairieland Seafoods.
HB 235 (Representative Franks/Senator Clayborne - passed both houses) Corporate Accountability - Provides disclosure and reimbursement requirements for state economic development assistance for corporations and requires all written incentive agreements to be published on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website. This legislation will force corporations such as Wal-Mart to tell the truth or risk losing their taxpayer financed assistance.
SB 130 (Senator Obama/Representative Pihos - passed both houses) Extends authorization of the Illinois KidCare Program from 7/1/03 to 7/1/06.
HB 3396 (Representative McKeon/Senator Sandoval - passed both houses) Allows public employees to form a Union on the basis that a majority (51%) of employees signed Union authorization cards.
SB 216 (Senator Clayborne/Representative Holbrook - passed both houses) Allows for the development and construction of the Metro Link to MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, IL, where Local 881 represents the Public Safety Officers.
HB 3486 (Representative Bailey/Senator Obama - passed both houses) Provides specified employers from discharging, discriminating, or retaliating against an employee who is a victim of domestic violence for taking time off from work to seek medical attention or counseling for injuries or psychological trauma caused by domestic violence.
SB 4 (Senator Obama/Representative Currie - passed both houses) Makes the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit permanent.
HB 211 (Senator Martinez /Representative Feigenholtz - passed both houses) Requires coverage under the Illinois Insurance Code to include benefits for outpatient prescription contraceptive drugs and devices and outpatient contraceptive services.
SB 679 (Senator Sandoval/Representative Acevedo - passed both houses) Provides that it is a civil rights violation for any employer to adopt or enforce a policy that limits or prohibits the use of any native language in a workplace, unless the language restriction is justified by a business necessity.
SB 90 (Senator del Valle/Representative Delgado - passed both houses) Provides that no person may knowingly contract with a day and temporary labor service agency to replace an employee during a strike or lockout.
HB 270 (Representative McKeon- Held in House Rules Committee) Legislators did not repeal the 1.75% retailers discount for collecting Illinois Sales tax. Although non-union retailers, such as Wal-Mart, receive a large tax subsidy for this collection, Local 881 believed that employers who provide a quality health care plan through collective bargaining should lose not their discount while other retailers send their employees to the State Medicaid system. If the State continues its budget woes, Local 881 will continue to advocate that responsible employers should keep the collection fee.
SB 461 (Senator Trotter/Representative McKeon - House 2nd Reading) Neutrality Legislation - This legislation would have required businesses who receive State Funds to be neutral in Union Organizing Drives.