Senate Bill 1905, which would prohibit local governments from creating right-to-work zones, was vetoed by Governor Bruce Rauner on September 29

The legislation would ban right-to-work zones, ensuring only the General Assembly would have the authority to regulate union security agreements. The bill passed the House 67-38 on June 29 and passed the Senate 40-13 on July 4. The bill will now need 71 votes in the House to override the Governor’s veto.

“Right-to-work states provide lower wages and experience higher incidences of workplace injury than states that reject right-to-work.”  -Terrence J. Hancock

“Right-to-work states provide lower wages and experience higher incidences of workplace injury than states that reject right-to-work,” said Terrence J. Hancock, President of Teamsters Joint Council 25. “The General Assembly must override Rauner’s veto in order for unions to keep the bargaining power in the members’ hands.”

This important bill requires four more yes votes to overturn Rauner’s decision. Joint Council 25 encourages Teamster members to call their state representative and encourage legislators to vote yes.

Find all state representatives’ contact information on the Illinois General Assembly Current House Members page.

See how individual state representatives voted here: SB1905 House Roll Call

After he was elected Governor in 2014, Rauner encouraged local governments throughout Illinois to implement his “Turnaround Agenda,” which included creating local right-to-work zones and eliminating prevailing wage rates.

A coalition of labor organizations, including Joint Council 25, opposed the Governor’s agenda and worked to limit the number of local governments who enacted right-to-work zones. To date, only the Village of Lincolnshire actually attempted to create a right-to-work zone. This ordinance was struck down in federal court earlier this year.

SB 1905 is expected to be taken up by the General Assembly by the end of October or the first week of November.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 is America’s premier labor union for Chicago, Illinois and northwest Indiana.