Teamsters Union Slams Gov. Pritzker For Vetoing Warehouse Worker Protection Act

[Passages]

Mar 26, 2025, 9:00 AM ET

Billionaire Governor's Anti-Worker Measure Further Harms Amazon Workers

CHICAGO, March 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Teamsters Union is condemning Gov. JB Pritzker for vetoing House Bill 2547, the Illinois Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA). The bipartisan legislation, which passed through the statehouse with overwhelming support, would have prevented companies like Amazon from abusing the workforce by regulating the use and disclosure of warehouse quotas.

"We are deeply disappointed that the governor has vetoed the Warehouse Worker Protection Act. In doing so, he has abandoned the very people who give their all every day, working under inhumane production quotas that are not only unacceptable but also dangerous," said Thomas W. Stiede, President of Teamsters Joint Council 25. "Having been a warehouse worker, I'm deeply familiar with the harsh and inhumane conditions in this industry, and I know firsthand why this bill is necessary. It's unfortunate that our Governor doesn't have those same experiences or sympathies. Warehouse workers, including those at Amazon, are simply trying to provide for their families honestly and safely, and the Illinois governor has turned his back on them."

California, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington have already passed their own versions of the WWPA, and a similar measure at the federal level has bipartisan support.
https://ktla.com/business/press-releases/cision/20250326PH50195/teamsters-union-slams-gov-pritzker-for-vetoing-warehouse-worker-protection-act/

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. Anyone know why?

[Passages]

2. Here:

Pritzker wrote that the bill is too vague on exactly what workers would be covered under the law. Processes for enforcing the policy are also unclear, even though the bill called for civil penalties against employers that violate the proposed law. The bill defined employees as people who work at warehouses and are subject to quotas requiring specific productivity speeds or a number of tasks that must be performed before an employee faces adverse action for failing to meet performance standards.

snip
The bill would have required that warehouse employees be given a written description of any quota they will be assessed on, including the number of tasks they must perform and the time tasks should be completed in. The bill would prohibit employers from punishing workers for failing to meet quotas because they took bathroom, meal or rest breaks.

Employees would be allowed to sue for violations.

snip
Lawmakers can override Pritzker's veto. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support from 79 lawmakers, meaning it could have enough support to break the 71-vote threshold needed to override a veto. The path to override in the Senate is unclear, however. Bills need 36 votes to override a veto in the Senate, but this bill received 35 votes when it passed in January.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/governor-jb-pritzker-vetoes-bill-would-have-required-illinois-warehouse-workers-know-quotas/16084637/


It's not vague to most lawmakers.