SJ0083 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0083 LRB095 19167 RAS 45402 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-FIFTH 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 Labor;

(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 shall hold 3 statewide hearings on the issue of unemployment insurance for contingent academic workers and report its findings to the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2009; and be it further

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