Illinois saw 86 successful union petitions in 2023, up from 67 the year before. Those are the two highest totals in a 10-year period dating back to 2014. The prior eight years ranged from 25 to 62 successful petitions.

Current Illinois law allows employers to pay their tipped workers 60% of the state’s minimum wage. That amounts to $8.40 hourly, compared to the minimum wage of $14 per hour. If their wages plus tips do not equal minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.

As workers in Illinois celebrate Labor Day, a new report shows there has been a surge in efforts to organize labor unions in workplaces throughout the state, while overall public approval of labor unions nationally is the highest in nearly six decades.

While U.S. unemployment is at its lowest point in years, a new report shines a light on a racial disparity that’s especially prominent in Illinois. 

With a growing need for educators and a dwindling pool of qualified workers, teachers have seen their wages diverge significantly from their fellow college-educated professionals, according to a new report.