CHICAGO, IL — There are new changes in laws, effective January 2016.

The Illinois Department of Labor is responsible for the administration and enforcement of more than 20 labor and safety laws. Below are new changes in laws and new laws administered by the Department that are effective January 1, 2016.

Additional questions can be addressed by calling the following number, 312-793-2800. Please click the following link for details regarding the news changes in laws/news laws: http://www.illinois.gov/idol/about/Pages/New-2016-Laws.aspx

Public Act 99-0099 (HB2556) – Human Trafficking-Notices

Public Act 99-0116 (HB3359) – Amusement Ride Safety

Public Act 99-0418 (HB3619) – Equal Pay Cover All Employers

Public Act 99-0017 (SB38) – Min Wage – Alternate Shift

Public Act 99-0303 (SB993) – Employee Classification Deadline

Public Act 99-0336 (SB1683) – OSHA-Employment-Federal Change

Public Act 99-0422 (SB1859) – Employment Act-Violations-PEO

Modest Job Growth Still Uneven Across State

Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

CHICAGO, IL – July was the seventeenth month in a row that unemployment rates fell in every metro area in the state compared to a year ago, according to preliminary data released today by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Rates also fell in all of Illinois’s 102 counties for the fifteenth time in the last sixteen months. Not seasonally adjusted data compares July 2015 with July 2014.

Illinois businesses added jobs in eight metros. The largest increases were seen in: Danville (+2.1 percent, +600), Champaign-Urbana (+2.0 percent, +2,000), and Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights Metro Division (+1.6 percent or +56,200).  Decreases were seen in: Quad Cities (-1.9 percent, -3,600), Peoria (-1.1 percent, -1,900), and Carbondale-Marion (-0.9 percent, -500).  The industry sectors recording job growth in the majority of metros were: Transportation, Warehousing and Public Utilities (11 of 14), Professional and Business Services (nine of 14), Wholesale Trade (eight of 14), Retail Trade (eight of 14) Education and Health Services (eight of 14), and Leisure and Hospitality (eight of 14).

“The year-over-year statewide unemployment rate has declined from 7.3 percent to 5.9 percent and continues to fall in all metro areas,” IDES Director Jeff Mays said. “However, we are still concerned that the long-term unemployed are still having difficulty finding jobs while there were 205,700 on-line job postings by Illinois employers in July.”

The not seasonally adjusted Illinois rate was 5.9 percent in July 2015 and stood at 12.2 percent at its peak in this economic cycle in January 2010.  Nationally, the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in July and 10.6 percent in January 2010 at its peak.  The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and looking for work, and is not tied to collecting unemployment insurance benefits.

Not Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

Total Nonfarm Jobs (Not Seasonally Adjusted) – July 2015

Rank and file union leaders at the University of Illinois at Chicago, members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, are supporting a call for an elected, civilian police accountability council in Chicago.

The Joint Bargaining Committee (JBC) of Local 73 at UIC represents 3500 workers throughout the university. The JBC is made up of the members of the four bargaining committees for Local 73 at UIC: Service and Maintenance, Clerical and Administrative, Technical, and Professional unit.

The JBC voted last week to endorse legislation drafted by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. This legislation would replace the current Police Board and Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA).

The resolution adopted by the JBC states, “Our union fights to protect us on the job, but as we all know, there are dangers to our members that are present in the communities where we live as well. Recently, the whole country has been made aware that for African American and Latino communities, there is a crisis of police crimes that go unpunished.”

“SEIU Local 73 Joint Bargaining Committee at UIC hereby endorses the call for an elected, civilian police accountability council.”

Andre Reed, co-chair of the JBC, said, “Our next step will be to take this proposal to the Local 73 General Membership meeting in April.” Local 73 is an amalgamated union with contracts representing 28,000 workers in state, county and municipal employment.

For more information, contact Joe Iosbaker 773-301-0109

In an effort to increase wages for hardworking men and women across Illinois, state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, passed a resolution in the House of Representatives on Wednesday designating March of 2015 and 2016 as “Ask Your Boss for a Raise Month.”

“It is important that workers understand their rights and are paid a fair wage for the amount of time they work,” Ford said. “I hope this resolution brings more awareness to this issue and encourages employers and employees to discuss fair compensation.”

For more information, visit www.lashawnford.com or contact one of Ford’s constituent service offices: 816 S. Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park at 708-445-3673; 4800 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago at 773-378-5902; or in the Stratton Office Building in Springfield at 217-782-5962.

Busby’s  response to February Jobs Report

February’s jobs report is encouraging news. With 295,000 jobs created last month and the

unemployment rate dropping to 5.4 percent, we have good reason to feel optimistic about the future.

However, our economy still has major disparities in the number of jobs gained by African Americans versus other races, and lawmakers could be doing much more to encourage Black entrepreneurship.

At 10.4 percent, Black unemployment is still double that of other demographics. And, the African American community has seen the lowest participation rate during the past six months, meaning that despite job gains across the country, our communities continue to see a significant lag in job creation.

We must work to redouble our efforts to ensure African Americans have access to jobs. A large part of the stimulus to reduce Black unemployment should be centered on expanding African American small business owners’ opportunities to grow, create jobs and thrive. This includes increasing the availability of small business loans for our community. Black businesses employ nearly one million people. Last year’s startling report by the Wall Street Journal that found Black-owned small businesses receive about 1.7 percent of all loan money available through the Small Business Administration down from 8.2 percent before the recession is a trend that cannot continue.

The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. will continue to work with Black entrepreneurs, the Administration and Congress on solutions to the problem of Black unemployment and on increasing African American entrepreneurs’ ability to access vital funds for their businesses and create jobs.

From the Chicago Coalition of Household Workers

Yesterday’s vote to pass a living wage ordinance will result in landmark gains for many working families. Not only does the ordinance raise the minimum wage for many workers — it also gives the city’s housekeepers, nannies and personal care assistants their first minimum wage protections in state history, the result of years of efforts to gain respect, recognition and inclusion in labor laws.

For more information about the Illinois Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, visit www.respectallwork.org.

Pre-Register Hiring Event  to Maximize Job Opportunities

More than 150 On-the-Spot Job Offers Last Year

CHICAGO, IL – Hiring Our Heroes, one of the largest efforts to help Veterans and their family members find employment, returns to Chicago on Thursday, September 18. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) are primary hosts. The Aon-sponsored event is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Upper Wacker Drive, Chicago.

More than 100 Chicago-area businesses are hiring to fill immediate job openings. Therefore, Veteran pre‑registration is critical to hiring success.

Veterans and military spouses should pre-register at hiringourheroes.org. This allows employers to review resumes, work experience and job skills prior to the event. Last year, this approach led employers to conduct 577 on-site interviews and make 152 job offers after outreach efforts by IDES, IDVA and other agencies.

Job seekers also are encouraged to take advantage of a free employment workshop at 8:30 a.m. focusing on resume writing, job search techniques and interview skills.

Free parking for job seekers is available at Grant Park north and south garages, Millennium Park Garage and Millennium Lakeside Garage. Parking validation is required.

Veterans also should register with Illinoisjoblink.com, the state’s hiring board operated by IDES. It uses the same matching technology as the Hiring Our Heroes events. Further, Illinoisjoblink.com helps employers meet federal and state help-wanted advertising and recruitment requirements. Job seekers can build multiple resumes to emphasize different skills and experiences. Employers can search by specific skill or license and leverage IDES’ no-cost HR recruitment services.

Illinoisjoblink.com now features Resume Builder. This intuitive, step-by-step process creates a resume designed to pass through computer filters employers use to sort job applicants. Once created, the resume automatically is matched to help-wanted ads that seek the worker’s skills.

IDVA and IDES also support the Illinois Hires Heroes Consortium (IHHC), a group of Illinois employers who recognize the great value Veterans bring to the workplace and who are “Veteran-friendly” by committing to implement a series of military Veteran recruitment, training, and retention practices.

Veterans are sought-after employees for their service training, soft skills and experiences which include respect for authority, embracing responsibility and success in a team-based environment. Service members also have advanced training in fields ranging from technology and manufacturing to construction and logistics.

A state income tax credit of up to $5,000 is available to businesses for each qualified Veteran who is hired. Employers also might qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $9,600 through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

Other sponsors include the U.S. Department of Labor, the American Legion and Goodwill Industries.

Illinois Led Nation in Auditing Problem Employers

CHICAGO, IL – Illinois employers wrongly classified nearly 20,000 of their workers as independent contractors rather than full-time employees in 2013, skipping out on more than $250 million in wages and contributions to funds that support laid-off and injured workers, the Illinois Department of Employment Security said today.

Taxpayers ultimately cover the costs of misclassified workers because it robs the state of payroll taxes normally removed from a worker’s paycheck. Those funds typically are not removed from payments given to independent contractors. In some cases, a homeowner could be responsible for costs incurred if a misclassified worker is injured while working on the owner’s dwelling.

“The consequences of misclassification are easy to see when a worker is hurt or an honest business owner is under-bid for a project. What hides in plain sight are the socialized costs that occur when a dishonest employer deceives a customer and cuts corners by not playing by the rules,” IDES Director Jay Rowell said.

“The labor movement is about creating strong communities and protecting workers from unscrupulous employers,” said Chicago Federation of Labor President Jorge Ramirez. “Tactics like worker misclassification erodes that by violating workers’ employment and labor rights.”

The audits also showed that Illinois held the most productive employer auditing effort in the nation, according to data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Illinois audited 3,635 employers in 2013. In doing so it identified 19,765 misclassified employees, $245.6 million in unreported taxable wages and $5.1 million in unreported contributions that fund unemployment insurance benefits. Illinois led by a wide margin all other states in Effective Audit Measures.

Fighting misclassification fraud is critical to workers, employers and taxpayers. Workers benefit because misclassification leads to less money in trust funds used to pay unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation claims. Employers benefit because companies that misclassify workers can under-bid law-abiding employers by as much as 30 percent. Taxpayers benefit because employers who misclassify employees typically do not carry insurance, or do not carry insurance at appropriate levels to protect the consumer if a worker is injured on the job. If a worker who has been misclassified and could arguably be considered an employee of the homeowner, the homeowner bears liability for any injury.

Generally speaking, to be considered an independent contractor, a worker must be free from direction or control. A worker is not an independent contractor just because an employer designates him or her as such – even if the worker agrees to the designation. Employers breaking the law could face fines of at least $10,000 and up to 60 percent interest on failed payments. The Illinois Department of Labor, Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois Department of Revenue and Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission are working together to help responsible business owners and punish fraud. More is available at www.illinoismisclassification.com

Like several other states, Illinois uses the ABC test to determine if an individual is an employee or an independent contractor. Construction related workers are presumed employees, and not independent contractors, unless the company can prove that the worker is A) free from direction and control of the company and B) the work performed is generally outside the scope of work performed by the company and C) the worker is engaged in an independently established trade or business.

CHICAGO, IL –  Rasheen Aldridge, a Jimmy Johns worker active with St. Louis’ “Can’t Survive on $7.35 an Hour,” has been rewarded by his company for his activism. They have fired him. Aldridge will join labor leaders long associated with unions and others who are up and coming in the non-traditional labor movement at a special panel sponsored by PeoplesWorld.org here on June 13.

The event, titled “Working for a Living: New Challenges,” will take place at the University of Illinois at Chicago at 7 p.m. in the Illinois Room.  The panel also includes Howard Kling, secretary of the International Labor Communications Association (AFL-CIO and Change to Win), Naquasia LeGrand, New York City Fast Food Forward activist and Colbert Show guest, and Teresa Albano, co-editor of the People’s World.

“In addition to denying people their right to a living wage, big box stores and fast food chains hurt everyone, forcing workers on public assistance and food stamps and forcing taxpayers to pick up the cost,” said John Wojcik, People’sWorld.org labor editor. “People are waking up to the fact that the so-called low cost of fast food and big box store items isn’t really low at all.”

Event sponsor PeoplesWorld.org publishes a daily news website that traces its origins back to the Daily Worker, founded in 1924.

Co-editor Teresa Albano sees the forum as a continuation of its coverage of the major new turn in today’s labor movement. “This event will show how unions  are conducting joint operations with workers’ centers, Our Walmart, and the Fight for 15, civil rights, immigrant and LGBT organizations” she said.

Contact Joe Sims: 917-402-9220 or Rosanna Cambron 562-728-7895