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House Bill 2547 would create the Warehouse Worker Protection Act
and require large warehouse distribution centers to inform their
workers what productivity quotas they must meet while on the
job. The measure would also require warehouses to provide
reasonably timed bathroom breaks and meal breaks.
State Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, a sponsor of the
legislation, said its intention is to protect workers.
"This is a bill that I have been working on with the Teamsters
and other advocates to really be able to address the increased
demands that we are seeing on working-class people," Villanueva
said.
State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, worries these
requirements will hurt small manufacturers.
"While all of the data and all of the comments are focused on
Amazon, a lot of people are getting caught up in this
legislation," Plummer said. "It could be really burdensome for
your small and medium-sized employers and for the people that
work at those firms."
Minnesota and California have recently passed similar
legislation.
Illinois Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Government
Affairs Clark Kaericher testified against Illinois' proposed
measure during the committee hearing Wednesday.
"HB 2547 would hinder the growth of the logistics industry in
Illinois," Kaericher said. "Some of the chamber's concerns
relate to the sharing of proprietary data, response times for
requests in as little as three calendar days as opposed to 14
business days in other states, and the lack of definition of an
adverse employment action which will lead to confusion and
litigation."
The
bill currently sits with the Senate Assignments Committee.
Lawmakers adjourn for the rest of the calendar year on Thursday.
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