Skip to main content

One to Keep An Eye On: Senate Bill 3396 (Illinois)


As with many labor and employment law related cases (and bills) being litigated around the country, there are always a few that stand out.  This is one to keep an eye on.


In recent weeks, Illinois Republican State Senator Chuck Weaver introduced a bill, Senate Bill 3396, which would divide the state into six zones and allow the minimum wage rate to fluctuate below the statewide $15/hour minimum wage rate, set to take effect by 2025.  (Does this remind anyone of former Governor Bruce Rauner’s right to work zones?  Granted Senate Bill 3396 concerns minimum wage rate zones while Governor Rauner’s proposal involved right to work zones...somewhat similar.)

Senate Bill 3396 would allow municipalities or counties, by a vote of the local governing body, to opt out of the statewide minimum wage rate and opt in to a regionally adjusted minimum wage rate that would be statutorily authorized and statutorily regulated.  Notably, there would be a sliding scale in place so that regions of the state with historically low unemployment or higher cost of living would be required to stay closer to the statewide minimum wage rate.  (Note, however that Cook County and Chicago would be barred from opting out of the statewide minimum wage rate.)  Senate Bill 3396 has been couched as a solution to the problem many small businesses in the state are grappling with:  how to afford the rising labor costs without drastically cutting their workforce or closing altogether.  For instance, if a certain county voted to opt out and had a cost of living 30% less than the rest of the state, those workers could receive 30% less than the statewide minimum wage rate.

Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker has been critical of the legislation, stating that if one worker in the state was “worth” the $15/hour wage rate, then every worker in the state should be “worth” the $15/hour wage rate.  Other Democrats have argued that while the legislation might provide a solution, it would be more appropriate to instead offer incentives to help support businesses in parts of the state that will struggle to pay their workers in accordance with the new wage rate.  While this legislation was only just introduced, there will likely be a great deal of consideration and debate on the matter both in committee and in the General Assembly.  However, with Democrats having majority control of the General Assembly (and a Democratic Governor), unless they want to work with Republicans, this legislation might not have the legs to get very far.


For additional information:  https://www.wgil.com/2020/02/25/weavers-bill-lets-local-governments-set-minimum-wage-based-on-region/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...
Post a Comment
Read more

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations
Post a Comment
Read more