Illinois House speaker files bill authorizing legislative staff union

SPRINGFIELD — Nearly a year after legislative staff in House Speaker Chris Welch's office privately declared their intent to unionize, there finally appears to be a path forward into the unchartered waters.

Welch, a Democrat from suburban Hillside, filed legislation earlier this week that would authorize the Illinois Labor Relations Board to oversee an election on the formation of a collective bargaining unit within the legislative branch.

The ILRB, as it does with other public sector employers, would also have jurisdiction over collective bargaining matters such as investigating and attempting to resolve unfair labor practice charges and utilizing impasse procedures such as mediation and arbitration to resolve labor disputes.

Current law exempts employees that work for the Illinois General Assembly from the labor relations board's framework.

Further, the proposal would create a legislative agency to represent the interests of the General Assembly in the collective bargaining process.

Welch, in an interview with me Wednesday morning, said he plans to hold a vote on the legislation next month, when lawmakers return to Springfield for their fall veto session. 

"Our record on labor is strong, it's clear (and) unequivocal," Welch said. "And what we have done here is create a legal pathway for legislative employees in the House and Senate to organize and collectively bargain through their representatives."