March 21, 2025

To the Honorable Members of

The Illinois House,

The 103rd General Assembly:

Today, I veto House Bill 2547 from the 103rd General Assembly. The bill would have established the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, which would have put in place requirements regarding the use and disclosure of quotas for warehouse workers.

My administration appreciates the efforts by the sponsors in the House and Senate, advocates, and other stakeholders who worked to pass this bill to address the sometimes dangerous working conditions for workers in the warehousing industry. While I share the goal of protecting warehouse workers from dangerous and unfair working conditions, this bill was passed hastily at the end of the Lame Duck session without engagement with relevant state agencies or my office and presents both legal and operational issues that undermine its effect: the definition of who is covered by the law is unclear; there is no procedure to ensure due process in the enforcement of the provisions; and while the bill calls for civil penalties and damages, it does not set out a clear, comprehensive scheme for these penalties or damages. In this tight budget year and in the face of unpredictable enforcement and funding from the federal government, it is critical that advocates, legislators and my administration work together to ensure any new labor laws are straightforward to implement and do not create a risk of legal challenges.

Illinois is a national leader in protecting the rights of workers. Under my administration, we have raised the minimum wage, established a constitutional right to collective bargaining, required paid leave for all workers, and more. At a time when the federal government is failing to protect workers, we must work harder, smarter, and more effectively to fill the gap. That is why I am directing my office and the Illinois Department of Labor to convene worker advocates, unions, and business stakeholders to work together on a proposal to address the underlying critical policy concerns regarding warehouse quotas and overall warehouse worker safety. I am also charging the Illinois Department of Labor with streamlining and prioritizing resources to build a field enforcement team that can respond quickly and effectively to dangerous conditions, lack of meal and rest breaks, and other concerns in warehouses.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 2547, entitled “AN ACT concerning regulation,” with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,                                                                                                                                    

JB Pritzker

Governor, State of Illinois