SJ0029 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0029 LRB096 06630 NHT 16714 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, During the 1970s, a special provision was written into the Social Security Act of 1935 concerning contingent academic workers; that provision excluded education workers from receipt of unemployment benefits unless they can demonstrate that they do not have "reasonable assurance" of continued employment; and

WHEREAS, Academic contingent workers in higher education are frequently denied access to unemployment benefits based on a very broad interpretation of "reasonable assurance"; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Unemployment Insurance for Contingent Academic Workers Task Force; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be charged with the following tasks:

(1) to estimate costs to higher education institutions of a change in law that allows contingent academics to collect unemployment insurance; and

(2) to examine the growth of employment of part-time contingent faculty over the past 10 years; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be composed of the following:

(1) 2 members who are statewide education labor union representatives from a 2-year institution; each member shall be appointed by the union that he or she represents;

(2) 2 members who are statewide education labor union representatives from a 4-year institution; each member shall be appointed by the union that he or she represents;

(3) 2 members who are management representatives from higher education institutions appointed by the Board of Higher Education;

(4) one member appointed by the Director of Employment Security;

(5) 4 legislative members; one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and

(6) one member appointed by the Governor; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force may hold hearings on the issue of unemployment insurance for contingent academic workers and shall report its findings to the General Assembly on or before July 1, 2010; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Board of Higher Education, the Director of Employment Security, and the Governor.