HR1024 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Nearly a quarter-century ago, Ford Motor Company was thrust into the spotlight when female employees came forward to reveal they were subject to a hostile work environment, which included sexual and racial harassment, inside their factories; subsequently, several lawsuits, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation, and a $22 million settlement to employees who experienced harassment have done nothing to change the culture of harassment that has spread throughout the Ford Motor Company plants in Chicago; today, women at these same plants say they have been subjected to many of the same abuses; in an industry once exclusive to men, these abuses are especially brazen; and

WHEREAS, Women joined the work force at Ford during World War II, when the factory made M8 armored cars; it was not until the 1970s that women routinely held permanent jobs on the line; these jobs allowed them to collect union wages while working for one of America's most storied companies; however, inside the two Chicago plants, women were treated as property or prey by their bosses and fellow laborers; they were subjected to offensive graffiti, crude comments about their bodies, unwanted physical advances, and the pressure of trading sexual acts for better assignments; and like those who complained several years ago, these women were mocked, dismissed, threatened, and ostracized; and

WHEREAS, Some of the women felt doubly victimized, as they were propositioned and called names by their male co-workers; veteran employees warned that reporting a co-worker's inappropriate behavior would only bring more trouble, including the infliction of petty humiliations, such as denying bathroom breaks; calls for help were often met with hostility, resistance, or inaction from the union, whose leadership is mostly male; and

WHEREAS, Over the years, Ford Motor Company did not act aggressively or consistently enough to put an end to the problem; the Company delayed firing those accused of harassment and left workers to conclude that offenders would not be punished and retaliation would be tolerated; the ongoing misconduct was damaging to the victims, causing anxiety and depression; and

WHEREAS, Many of the women who reported the harassment have felt betrayed by both Ford and their lawyers and said they were pressured into giving up their jobs; and

WHEREAS, By 2015, half of all sexual harassment and gender discrimination complaints lodged with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission originated in Chicago; the current lawsuit against Ford involves approximately 30 plaintiffs and accuses multiple local union representatives of harassing women or obstructing their complaints; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call on all departments of the Illinois Government, the City of Chicago, and Cook County to refuse to enter into any new contracts or to extend or renew any existing contracts with Ford Motor Company LLC; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois and Cook County Treasurers, as well as the Chicago City Clerk, divest any and all taxpayer assets form Ford Motor Company until Ford is found compliant with the guidelines of sexual harassment put forth by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Governor of Illinois, the Illinois Treasurer, the Cook County Treasurer, the Mayor of the City of Chicago, and the Cook County Board.