(20 ILCS 605/605-850) (was 20 ILCS 605/46.32a in part)

Sec. 605-850. Labor-management-community relations; Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee.

(a) Because economic development investment programs must be supplemented with efforts to maintain a skilled, stable, and diverse workforce able to meet the needs of new and growing business enterprises, the Department shall promote better labor-management-community and government operations by providing assistance in the development of local labor-management-community committees and coalitions established to address employment issues facing families and by helping Illinois current and prospective employers attract and retain a diverse and productive workforce through the promotion and support of dependent care policies and programs in the workplace and community.

(b) In the Department there shall be a Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee composed of 18 public members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Six members shall represent executive level management of businesses, 6 members shall represent major labor union leadership, and 6 members shall represent community leadership. The Governor shall designate one business representative and one labor representative as cochairmen. Appointed members shall not be represented at a meeting by another person. There shall be 9 ex officio nonvoting members: the Director, who shall serve as Secretary, the Director of Labor, the Secretary of Human Services, the Director of Public Health, the Director of Employment Security, the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Each ex officio member shall serve during the term of his or her office. Ex officio members may be represented by duly authorized substitutes.

In making the initial public member appointments to the Committee, 3 of the business representatives and 3 of the labor union representatives shall be appointed for terms expiring July 1, 1987. The remaining public members shall be appointed for terms expiring July 1, 1988. The public members appointed under this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly shall be divided into 2 groups with the first group having terms that expire on July 1, 2002 and the second group having terms that expire on July 1, 2003. Thereafter, public members of the Committee shall be appointed for terms of 2 years expiring on July 1, or until their successors are appointed and qualified. The Governor may at any time, with the advice and consent of the Senate, make appointments to fill vacancies for the balance of an unexpired term. Public members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed by the Department for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The Department shall provide staff assistance to the Committee.

(c) The Committee shall have the following duties:

(1) To improve communications between labor, management, and communities on significant economic problems facing the State, especially with respect to identifying new ways to attract and retain employees and provide an environment in which employees can do their best work.

(2) To encourage and support the development of local labor, management, and community committees at the plant, industry and area levels across the State and encourage and support the development of local coalitions to support the implementation of family-friendly policies in the workplace.

(3) To assess the progress of area labor-management-community committees and local coalitions that have been formed across the State and provide input to the Governor and General Assembly concerning grant programs established in this Act.

(4) To convene a statewide conference on labor-management-community concerns at least once every 2 years and to convene a series of regional work, family, and community planning conferences throughout the State for employers, unions, and community leaders to form local coalitions to share information, pool resources, and address work and family concerns in their own communities.

(5) To issue a report on labor-management-community and employment-related family concerns to the Governor and the General Assembly every 2 years. This report shall outline the accomplishments of the Committee and specific recommendations for improving statewide labor-management-community relations and supporting the adoption of family-friendly work practices throughout the State.

(6) To advise the Department on dependent care and other employment-related family initiatives.

(7) To advise the Department on other initiatives to foster maintenance and development of productive, stable, and diverse workforces to supplement and advance community and State investment-based economic development programs.

(Source: P.A. 91-239, eff. 1-1-00; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99; 91-476, eff. 8-11-99; 92-16, eff. 6-28-01.)