Chicago Federation of Labor

Jobs for high speed rail

Governor Quinn announces funding for high speed rail in Illinois with labor and government leaders at Union Station

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement with regard to the announcement that Illinois has been awarded more than $1.2 billion in federal funds for high-speed rail:

“In the face of fierce competition from states across the nation, Illinois’ high-speed rail proposal received a strong vote of confidence from the White House today. Illinois was one of only three states to be awarded more than one billion dollars in funding from the federal government’s total nationwide investment of $8 billion. This is a massive investment into the future of transportation. It is seventeen times more funding than the federal government has invested into passenger rail over the last ten years combined.

Unions propose customer “bill of rights” and other reforms at McCormick Place

Call for greater transparency in overhaul of business model, say savings from past contract adjustments not passed along to customers

CHICAGO—The unions representing workers at McCormick Place today called for a customer “bill of rights” for exhibitors, as well as greater transparency and auditing, as part of the major reforms that must be implemented in order for Chicago to remain a top destination for conventions and trade shows.

The reforms were proposed by labor leaders from the United Steelworkers Local 17 (Decorators Union), Machinery Movers, Riggers & Machinery Erectors Local 136, IBEW Local 134, Carpenters Regional Council, Teamsters Local 727.

“No one understands the importance of conventions and trade shows in the city and its communities more than the men and women of organized labor,” said Dennis Gannon, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor. “That is why the unions at McCormick Place have worked with management time and again to lower their costs and make work rules more customer-friendly to improve the experience for exhibitors. But the whole business model must change, not just labor contracts.”

In the interest of making Chicago an even greater destination for conventions and trade shows, the unions proposed:

A customer “bill of rights” that clearly delineates standards by which labor and management must work with the customers to maximize their satisfaction with doing business at McCormick Place.
Audits of charges and fees to help shine sunlight on whether savings are in fact passed along to customers.