High-level state officials and union leaders discuss state initiatives and labor protections during the Mother Jones Festival in central Illinois

[JUNE 28, 2005]  CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich's labor roundtable on Monday featured high-level state officials who focused on new state labor laws and initiatives that benefit working men and women across Illinois. The forum, conducted at the Lincoln Land Community College Southern Region Education Center in Litchfield, was part of the Mother Jones Festival in Mount Olive and was in collaboration with the AFL-CIO, Lincoln Land Community College and other local organizations.

"The Mother Jones Festival, honoring the matriarch of this country's labor movement, will bring together thousands of working men and women from across Illinois and neighboring states," Blagojevich said. "Today's labor roundtable gives us the chance to show our support of these working residents and to talk about our efforts to improve education, ensure equal pay for equal work and make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible. We want to share how state agencies work together to improve the quality of life for all Illinoisans."

Directors and high-level representatives from state agencies discussed the benefits of wage protections for working families, the positive growth of Illinois coal mining jobs, the importance of equal pay and progress in education reform. Panelists included Margaret Blackshere, president of the Illinois AFL-CIO; Bill Hoback, bureau chief of the Illinois Office of Coal Development, Dr. Randy J. Dunn, interim Illinois state superintendent of schools; Brenda A. Russell, director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security; Catherine Shannon, legislative director of the Illinois Department of Labor; and Caleb Weaver, project manager for the I-SaveRx program. Art Ludwig, director of the Illinois Department of Labor, moderated the roundtable presentation.

Gov. Blagojevich recently announced $70,000 through his regional economic development strategy, Opportunity Returns, to help market Mount Olive's three-day Mother Jones Festival and bring together the working community.

The Mother Jones Festival is a national labor event, and this year's commemoration is even more significant as it marks her 175th birth anniversary and 75th death anniversary. Information on Mount Olive's festival is available at http://www.macoupinil.com/motherjonesfestival/.

About Opportunity Returns

Gov. Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois' history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn't work, the governor has divided the state into 10 regions, each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges.

Opportunity Returns focuses on upgrading the skills of the local work force, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. It develops tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, marketable, entrepreneurial and attractive to businesses. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.

[News release]