SR0584 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0584 LRB103 35149 ECR 65115 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to the headquarters of Portillo's Restaurant Group, Inc. and its roughly 50 restaurant locations across the State; and

WHEREAS, Portillo's, valued in recent years at $1.9 billion and now a publicly traded corporation on the Nasdaq, has announced plans to open 920 stores nationwide, a steep increase from its original plans of 600 stores; and

WHEREAS, From October 2022 to March 2023, the national number of workers seeking union representation and filing unfair labor practice charges has increased to numbers last witnessed in the 1950s, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); and

WHEREAS, Illinois passed the Workers' Rights Amendment in November 2022, guaranteeing the fundamental right to unionize and bargain collectively; and

WHEREAS, On March 10, 2023, workers at a Portillo's food distribution center chose to file with the NLRB to organize a union, and the board conducted an election for employees to cast their votes on April 13, 2023; and

WHEREAS, On April 19, 2023, Portillo's, the maker of many iconic Chicago food staples, did not honor the decision its employees made to join a union, instead utilizing stall tactics, including challenging the election conducted by the NLRB by filing an appeal; and

WHEREAS, On July 19, 2023, the NLRB ruled against Portillo's appeal, siding with the food distribution workers; however, Portillo's again appealed this decision on August 2, 2023, further ignoring the voices of its workers who continue to demand access to sick time, livable wages, and dignity and respect in the workplace; and

WHEREAS, Portillo's food distribution center workers continue to express concerns over the stall tactics employed by Portillo's in an effort to do everything in its power to deny its food distribution workers the right to bargain collectively; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Portillo's Restaurant Group, Inc. to honor the wishes of its food distribution workers who have voted to join a union and bargain collectively for the betterment of themselves and their families; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge all State elected officials to stand with Portillo's food distribution workers who voted to unionize for better working conditions, livable wages, and access to basic sick time benefits; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Portillo's to respect the constitutional rights of its workers in Illinois to bargain collectively; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend and acknowledge the decision made by Portillo's food distribution workers in Addison to unionize and join the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, AFL-CIO.