HB3160 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB098 08421 JDS 38527 b

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB3160

Introduced , by Rep. Jeanne M Ives

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act
5 ILCS 315/6	from Ch. 48, par. 1606
5 ILCS 315/15	from Ch. 48, par. 1615
115 ILCS 5/11	from Ch. 48, par. 1711
115 ILCS 5/17	from Ch. 48, par. 1717

Creates the Workers Rights Act. Provides that no person shall be required as a condition of obtaining or continuing public-sector or private-sector employment to (1) resign or refrain from membership in, voluntary affiliation with, or voluntary financial support of, a labor organization; (2) become or remain a member of a labor organization; (3) pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges of any kind or amount, or provide anything else of value, to a labor organization; or (4) pay to any charity or other third party an amount equivalent to, or a portion of, dues, fees, assessments, or other charges required of members of a labor organization. Authorizes a person who suffers an injury or a threatened injury as a result of a violation of the Act to bring a civil action for damages, injunctive relief, or both and, if he or she prevails, to be awarded attorneys' fees and costs. Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning employment.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Workers Rights Act.

Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Labor organization" means any agency, union, employee representation committee, or organization of any kind that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning wages, rates of pay, hours of work, other conditions of employment, or other forms of compensation.

Section 10. Right to work.

(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no person shall be required as a condition of obtaining or continuing public-sector or private-sector employment to:

(1) resign or refrain from membership in, voluntary affiliation with, or voluntary financial support of, a labor organization;

(2) become or remain a member of a labor organization;

(3) pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges of any kind or amount, or provide anything else of value, to a labor organization; or

(4) pay to any charity or other third party an amount equivalent to, or a portion of, dues, fees, assessments, or other charges required of members of a labor organization.

(b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an agreement, contract, understanding, or practice between a labor organization and an employer that violates this Act is unlawful and unenforceable. This Act will apply only to those agreements, contracts, understandings, or practices that take force or are extended or renewed after this Act takes effect.

(c) Any person who suffers an injury or a threatened injury under this Act may bring a civil action for damages, injunctive relief, or both. In addition, the court shall award a prevailing plaintiff costs and reasonable attorneys' fees.

(d) If any part or parts of this Act are found to be in conflict with the United States Constitution or federal law, the Act shall be implemented to the maximum extent that the United States Constitution and federal law permit. Any provision held invalid or inoperative shall be severable from the remaining portions of this Act.

Section 90. The Illinois Public Labor Relations Act is amended by changing Sections 6 and 15 as follows:

(5 ILCS 315/6) (from Ch. 48, par. 1606)

Sec. 6. Right to organize and bargain collectively; exclusive representation; and fair share arrangements.

(a) Employees of the State and any political subdivision of the State, excluding employees of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, have, and are protected in the exercise of, the right of self-organization, and may form, join or assist any labor organization, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing on questions of wages, hours and other conditions of employment, not excluded by Section 4 of this Act, and to engage in other concerted activities not otherwise prohibited by law for the purposes of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, free from interference, restraint or coercion. Employees also have, and are protected in the exercise of, the right to refrain from participating in any such concerted activities. Employees may be required, pursuant to the terms of a lawful fair share agreement, to pay a fee which shall be their proportionate share of the costs of the collective bargaining process, contract administration and pursuing matters affecting wages, hours and other conditions of employment as defined in Section 3(g).

(b) Nothing in this Act prevents an employee from presenting a grievance to the employer and having the grievance heard and settled without the intervention of an employee organization; provided that the exclusive bargaining representative is afforded the opportunity to be present at such conference and that any settlement made shall not be inconsistent with the terms of any agreement in effect between the employer and the exclusive bargaining representative.

(c) A labor organization designated by the Board as the representative of the majority of public employees in an appropriate unit in accordance with the procedures herein or recognized by a public employer as the representative of the majority of public employees in an appropriate unit is the exclusive representative for the employees of such unit for the purpose of collective bargaining with respect to rates of pay, wages, hours and other conditions of employment not excluded by Section 4 of this Act. A public employer is required upon request to furnish the exclusive bargaining representative with a complete list of the names and addresses of the public employees in the bargaining unit, provided that a public employer shall not be required to furnish such a list more than once per payroll period. The exclusive bargaining representative shall use the list exclusively for bargaining representation purposes and shall not disclose any information contained in the list for any other purpose. Nothing in this Section, however, shall prohibit a bargaining representative from disseminating a list of its union members.

(d) Labor organizations recognized by a public employer as the exclusive representative or so designated in accordance with the provisions of this Act are responsible for representing the interests of all public employees in the unit. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit an exclusive representative's right to exercise its discretion to refuse to process grievances of employees that are unmeritorious.

(e) When a collective bargaining agreement is entered into with an exclusive representative, it may include in the agreement a provision requiring employees covered by the agreement who are not members of the organization to pay their proportionate share of the costs of the collective bargaining process, contract administration and pursuing matters affecting wages, hours and conditions of employment, as defined in Section 3 (g), but not to exceed the amount of dues uniformly required of members. The organization shall certify to the employer the amount constituting each nonmember employee's proportionate share which shall not exceed dues uniformly required of members. In such case, the proportionate share payment in this Section shall be deducted by the employer from the earnings of the nonmember employees and paid to the employee organization.

(f) Only the exclusive representative may negotiate provisions in a collective bargaining agreement providing for the payroll deduction of labor organization dues, fair share payment, initiation fees and assessments. Except as provided in subsection (e) of this Section, any such deductions shall only be made upon an employee's written authorization, and continued until revoked in writing in the same manner or until the termination date of an applicable collective bargaining agreement. Such payments shall be paid to the exclusive representative.

Where a collective bargaining agreement is terminated, or continues in effect beyond its scheduled expiration date pending the negotiation of a successor agreement or the resolution of an impasse under Section 14, the employer shall continue to honor and abide by any dues deduction or fair share clause contained therein until a new agreement is reached including dues deduction or a fair share clause. For the benefit of any successor exclusive representative certified under this Act, this provision shall be applicable, provided the successor exclusive representative:

(i) certifies to the employer the amount constituting each non-member's proportionate share under subsection (e); or

(ii) presents the employer with employee written authorizations for the deduction of dues, assessments, and fees under this subsection.

Failure to so honor and abide by dues deduction or fair share clauses for the benefit of any exclusive representative, including a successor, shall be a violation of the duty to bargain and an unfair labor practice.

(g) Agreements containing a fair share agreement must safeguard the right of nonassociation of employees based upon bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such employees are members. Such employees may be required to pay an amount equal to their fair share, determined under a lawful fair share agreement, to a nonreligious charitable organization mutually agreed upon by the employees affected and the exclusive bargaining representative to which such employees would otherwise pay such service fee. If the affected employees and the bargaining representative are unable to reach an agreement on the matter, the Board may establish an approved list of charitable organizations to which such payments may be made.

(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no fair share agreement may be entered into, modified, or renewed on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 93-854, eff. 1-1-05; 94-472, eff. 1-1-06.)

(5 ILCS 315/15) (from Ch. 48, par. 1615)

Sec. 15. Act Takes Precedence.

(a) In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Act and any other law (other than Section 5 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, and other than the changes made to the Illinois Pension Code by Public Act 96-889, and other than the changes made by this amendatory Act of the 98th 96th General Assembly), executive order or administrative regulation relating to wages, hours and conditions of employment and employment relations, the provisions of this Act or any collective bargaining agreement negotiated thereunder shall prevail and control. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to replace or diminish the rights of employees established by Sections 28 and 28a of the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act, Sections 2.15 through 2.19 of the Regional Transportation Authority Act. The provisions of this Act are subject to Section 5 of the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971 and the Workers Rights Act. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to replace the necessity of complaints against a sworn peace officer, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Uniform Peace Officer Disciplinary Act, from having a complaint supported by a sworn affidavit.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (a) above, any collective bargaining contract between a public employer and a labor organization executed pursuant to this Act shall supersede any contrary statutes, charters, ordinances, rules or regulations relating to wages, hours and conditions of employment and employment relations adopted by the public employer or its agents. Any collective bargaining agreement entered into prior to the effective date of this Act shall remain in full force during its duration.

(c) It is the public policy of this State, pursuant to paragraphs (h) and (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, that the provisions of this Act are the exclusive exercise by the State of powers and functions which might otherwise be exercised by home rule units. Such powers and functions may not be exercised concurrently, either directly or indirectly, by any unit of local government, including any home rule unit, except as otherwise authorized by this Act.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 96-889, eff. 1-1-11.)

Section 95. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act is amended by changing Sections 11 and 17 as follows:

(115 ILCS 5/11) (from Ch. 48, par. 1711)

Sec. 11. Non-member fair share payments. When a collective bargaining agreement is entered into with an exclusive representative, it may include a provision requiring employees covered by the agreement who are not members of the organization to pay to the organization a fair share fee for services rendered. The exclusive representative shall certify to the employer an amount not to exceed the dues uniformly required of members which shall constitute each non member employee's fair share fee. The fair share fee payment shall be deducted by the employer from the earnings of the non member employees and paid to the exclusive representative.

The amount certified by the exclusive representative shall not include any fees for contributions related to the election or support of any candidate for political office. Nothing in this Section shall preclude the non member employee from making voluntary political contributions in conjunction with his or her fair share payment.

If a collective bargaining agreement that includes a fair share clause expires or continues in effect beyond its scheduled expiration date pending the negotiation of a successor agreement, then the employer shall continue to honor and abide by the fair share clause until a new agreement that includes a fair share clause is reached. Failure to honor and abide by the fair share clause for the benefit of any exclusive representative as set forth in this paragraph shall be a violation of the duty to bargain and an unfair labor practice.

Agreements containing a fair share agreement must safeguard the right of non-association of employees based upon bonafide religious tenets or teaching of a church or religious body of which such employees are members. Such employees may be required to pay an amount equal to their proportionate share, determined under a proportionate share agreement, to a non-religious charitable organization mutually agreed upon by the employees affected and the exclusive representative to which such employees would otherwise pay such fee. If the affected employees and the exclusive representative are unable to reach an agreement on the matter, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board may establish an approved list of charitable organizations to which such payments may be made.

The Board shall by rule require that in cases where an employee files an objection to the amount of the fair share fee, the employer shall continue to deduct the employee's fair share fee from the employee's pay, but shall transmit the fee, or some portion thereof, to the Board for deposit in an escrow account maintained by the Board; provided, however, that if the exclusive representative maintains an escrow account for the purpose of holding fair share fees to which an employee has objected, the employer shall transmit the entire fair share fee to the exclusive representative, and the exclusive representative shall hold in escrow that portion of the fee that the employer would otherwise have been required to transmit to the Board for escrow, provided that the escrow account maintained by the exclusive representative complies with rules to be promulgated by the Board within 30 days of the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989 or that the collective bargaining agreement requiring the payment of the fair share fee contains an indemnification provision for the purpose of indemnifying the employer with respect to the employer's transmission of fair share fees to the exclusive representative.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no fair share agreement may be entered into, modified, or renewed on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 94-210, eff. 7-14-05.)

(115 ILCS 5/17) (from Ch. 48, par. 1717)

Sec. 17. Effect on other laws. In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Act and any other law (other than the Workers Rights Act), executive order or administrative regulation, the provisions of this Act shall prevail and control. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to replace or diminish the rights of employees established by Section 36d of "An Act to create the State Universities Civil Service System", approved May 11, 1905, as amended or modified.

(Source: P.A. 83-1014.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.