EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Rock Island County Democrats hosted their annual Labor Day picnic Monday afternoon.
This year, they were joined by special guest, Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker — who discussed the pending Workers' Rights Amendment. The amendment would provide employees the fundamental right to collectively organize and negotiate wages, hours and working conditions.
"Standing up for working families is what my campaign has been all about, since the time I announced five years ago for governor," Pritzker said. "And it's what I've been doing as governor, making sure that working families are succeeding, that the workers of Illinois earning a good wage and good benefits in a safe workplace. And that's protected here in Illinois."
He touched on what he's done so far to make sure those rights are protected no matter what.
"I've done everything that I can, as governor and with the legislature, but I gotta say, having an amendment to our constitution that guarantees those rights. So that God forbid, the if somebody becomes governor or the legislature turns anti-worker, that their rights will be codified in Illinois."
Pritzker also celebrated the state-wide raise in minimum wage. In Illinois, minimum wage is now $15 an hour.
But, Pritzker said he had no plans on raising that wage anymore.
"That's because people are able to earn even more than $15 right now, because there's a shortage of labor. So anybody that's looking for a job, you have a real chance of getting a $20 or $25 an hour job, just if you enter the the labor market, so we want people to come into the labor market. The jobs are here," Pritzker said.
The Illinois general election is on Nov. 8. That's when Pritzker goes against his Republican opponent Darren Bailey.
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