Labor unions are going on the road to make their case against Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s pro-business agenda. The latest in a series of events took place Wednesday morning in Springfield.
For months, Rauner has been pushing proposals (PDF) he says would improve Illinois’ economy — such as by lowering the cost of workers’ compensation insurance and restricting lawsuits.
But the governor is also pushing to weaken labor unions — like by creating right-to-work zones. Several union leaders and members held an event at a Springfield church to voice their concerns.
“The unions are not the problem with the economy in this state," says Andrew Fuchs, who has been a union plumber for 19 years. "I have a hard time believing anybody that’s a working person would not support unions."
Fuchs says all working people — not just union members — are under attack: “The majority of the people are workers in this state. I think we need to make a concentrated effort to get the people off their rear ends and voice their opinion."
For his part, Rauner says Illinois cannot afford to maintain its social safety net without making the state more attractive to business.
Wednesday's labor event in Springfield will be repeated in the coming weeks in the Quad Cities, Rockford, the Chicago suburbs and the Metro-East area near St. Louis.
