Peters measure to create state-run labor mediation program

SPRINGFIELD - State Senator Robert Peters is protecting workers and keeping Illinois' economy moving with a new pilot program that would ensure unions, employers and public agencies can resolve disputes quickly - even as the federal mediation system faces major cuts.

"With the federal mediation system stretched thin, our pilot program would make sure our state's workers and employers still have access to trained mediators who can help resolve conflicts quickly and fairly," said Peters (D-Chicago), chair of the Senate Labor Committee. "This is about giving people a path toward solutions without costly disruptions that affect our residents."

Peters' measure would create the Labor Mediation Services Pilot Program to be used in place of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service when the federal program is not available. The FMCS is a small, independent federal agency that provides mediation, training and facilitation to resolve labor-management disputes - disagreements between unions and employers. These efforts help avoid costly disruptions in production, services and supply chains, ensuring economic stability and growth.

Through the measure, Illinois would step up to lead where FMCS has been forced to step back. The state's new pilot program, created through collaboration between the AFL-CIO and the Illinois Department of Labor, demonstrates a proactive effort to maintain essential mediation and dispute resolution services after federal cuts to FMCS left major gaps. Although a federal judge has issued an order preventing complete dissolution of the FMCS, the agency now operates with only a skeleton staff, leaving uncertainty about how many mediators remain available nationally or in Illinois. The state's new pilot program would fill gaps in providing training, mediation, facilitation, dispute systems designs and other alternative dispute resolution services to agencies - allowing them to operate more effectively and serve the public better.

"We're proving that when the federal administration falls short, we in Illinois will step up," said Peters. "We aren't going to sit around and wait for someone else to fix this issue. We're taking action and showing our state can provide effective solutions when they're needed most."

House Bill 3005 passed the Senate Wednesday and heads to the House for further consideration.