HR0783 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0783 LRB100 18626 MST 33851 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, According to a recent case in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, between 2012 and 2014 more than 1,500 female workers at Ford Motor Company production plants across the nation were subject to sexual harassment and sexual abuse by both Ford management and officials from the United Auto Workers Union; and

WHEREAS, Ford Motor Company and the United Auto Workers International Union (U.A.W.) have been subjected to many previous investigations involving sexual harassment; the stubborn persistence of harassment among women in the automotive industry is widespread and underreported; and

WHEREAS, Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant and the Chicago Stamping Plant have been particularly harsh working environments, with numerous reports of women being subjected to harassment and physical assault such as trading sexual favors for overtime pay and fellow employees describing graphic sexual acts to their female co-workers; and

WHEREAS, This disturbing behavior extends to the officials of the U.A.W., which employs multiple union representatives who themselves have been accused of sexual harassment; and

WHEREAS, Multiple women at Ford's Chicago plants have come to their union representatives with sexual harassment complaints, only to be rebuffed by union representatives claiming cases are not sexual harassment because "he only did it one time" and "That's just him-he has no filter"; and

WHEREAS, Federal Labor Law states that a union may not "act arbitrarily, discriminatorily, or in fraud, deceit, or dishonesty" or "discipline a member for refusing to engage in an unlawful activity or for testifying against other members in a grievance meeting or an arbitration proceeding"; and

WHEREAS, The U.A.W. has also been accused of gross financial corruption among upper level officials, including accepting money from auto companies in order to take company-friendly positions; and

WHEREAS, The U.A.W. exists to serve its members, but it is clear that they are actively playing a part in cultivating a culture of harassment at Ford; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate the culture of harassment within the U.A.W. and provide increased support for the brave women who have detailed their experiences within the Ford Motor Company; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Acting Chair and the Commissioners of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, the Director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the President and Board of the United Auto Workers International, and the Board of Directors at Ford Motor Company.