(20 ILCS 605/605-855) (was 20 ILCS 605/46.32a in part)

Sec. 605-855. Grants to local coalitions and labor-management-community committees.

(a) The Director, with the advice of the Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee, shall have the authority to provide grants to employee coalitions or other coalitions that enhance or promote work and family programs and address specific community concerns, and to provide matching grants, grants, and other resources to establish or assist area labor-management-community committees and other projects that serve to enhance labor-management-community relations. The Department shall have the authority, with the advice of the Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee, to award grants or matching grants in the areas provided in subsections (b) through (g).

(b) Matching grants to existing local labor-management-community committees. To be eligible for matching grants pursuant to this subsection, local labor-management-community committees shall meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Be a formal, not-for-profit organization structured for continuing service with voluntary membership.

(2) Be composed of labor, management, and community representatives.

(3) Service a distinct and identifiable geographic region.

(4) Be staffed by a professional chief executive officer.

(5) Have been established with the Department for at least 2 years.

(6) Operate in compliance with rules set forth by the Department with the advice of the Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee.

(7) Ensure that their efforts and activities are coordinated with relevant agencies, including but not limited to the following:

Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Illinois Department of Labor

Economic development agencies

Planning agencies

Colleges, universities, and community colleges

U.S. Department of Labor

Statewide Job Training Partnership Act entities or entities under any successor federal workforce training and development legislation.

Further, the purpose of the local labor-management-community committees will include, but not be limited to, the following:

(i) Enhancing the positive labor-management-community relationship within the State, region, community, and/or work place.

(ii) Assisting in the retention, expansion, and attraction of businesses and jobs within the State through special training programs, gathering and disseminating information, and providing assistance in local economic development efforts as appropriate.

(iii) Creating and maintaining a regular nonadversarial forum for ongoing dialogue between labor, management, and community representatives to discuss and resolve issues of mutual concern outside the realm of the traditional collective bargaining process.

(iv) Acting as an intermediary for initiating local programs between unions and employers that would generally improve economic conditions in a region.

(v) Encouraging, assisting, and facilitating the development of work-site and industry labor-management-community committees in the region.

Any local labor-management-community committee meeting these criteria may apply to the Department for annual matching grants, provided that the local committee contributes at least 25% in matching funds, of which no more than 50% shall be "in-kind" services. Funds received by a local committee pursuant to this subsection shall be used for the ordinary operating expenses of the local committee.

(c) Matching grants to local labor-management-community committees that do not meet all of the eligibility criteria set forth in subsection (b). However, to be eligible to apply for a grant under this subsection (c), the local labor-management-community committee, at a minimum, shall meet all of the following criteria:

(1) Be composed of labor, management, and community representatives.

(2) Service a distinct and identifiable geographic region.

(3) Operate in compliance with the rules set forth by the Department with the advice of the Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee.

(4) Ensure that its efforts and activities are directed toward enhancing the labor-management-community relationship within the State, region, community, and/or work place.

Any local labor-management-community committee meeting these criteria may apply to the Department for an annual matching grant, provided that the local committee contributes at least 25% in matching funds of which no more than 50% shall be "in-kind" services. Funds received by a local committee pursuant to this subsection (c) shall be used for the ordinary and operating expenses of the local committee. Eligible committees shall be limited to 3 years of funding under this subsection. With respect to those committees participating in this program prior to enactment of this amendatory Act of 1988 that fail to qualify under paragraph (1) of this subsection (c), previous years' funding shall be counted in determining whether those committees have reached their funding limit under this subsection (c).

(d) Grants to develop and conduct specialized education and training programs of direct benefit to representatives of labor, management, labor-management-community committees and/or their staff. The type of education and training programs to be developed and offered will be determined and prioritized annually by the Department, with the advice of the Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee. The Department will develop and issue an annual request for proposals detailing the program specifications.

(e) Grants for research and development projects related to labor-management-community or employment-related family issues. The Department, with the advice of the Labor-Management-Community Cooperation Committee, will develop and prioritize annually the type and scope of the research and development projects deemed necessary.

(f) Grants of up to a maximum of $5,000 to support the planning of regional work, family, and community planning conferences that will be based on specific community concerns.

(g) Grants to initiate or support recently created employer-led coalitions to establish pilot projects that promote the understanding of the work and family issues and support local workforce dependent care services.

(h) The Department is authorized to establish applications and application procedures and promulgate any rules deemed necessary in the administration of the grants.

(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06.)