An anti-poverty organization is out with their best and worst states to work in America report.
The Oxfam “Best States to Work Index” tracks 27 policies in three areas, including wages, worker protections, and rights to organize. The report measures one new policy on warehouse worker protections, as the increased use of technology to monitor workers and implement quota systems has led to increased worker injuries in warehouses.
Illinois was ranked 7th on the list. The District of Columbia was No. 1, followed by California, Oregon, New York and Washington.
“As part of Oxfam’s mission to combat inequality around the world, our Best States to Work Index is an important tool in our ongoing fight against working poverty and the unfair labor practices we see in our own backyard here in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, CEO of Oxfam. “Too many working families across the country are struggling to make ends meet, and our government must do more to support them: it’s time to raise wages, strengthen worker protections and protect the right to organize across the country.”
States with a strong union presence fared well in the ranking.
“When workers are unionized there tends to be higher wages, more protections, more benefits and lower rates of injury,” said Kaitlyn Henderson, the author of the report.
Union membership has been declining in Illinois for years. Public and private sector unions in Illinois saw 27,000 workers reject union membership in 2023. Last year had the lowest union membership rate in Illinois in 34 years.
ASFCME Council 31 represents state and government workers in Illinois. Their membership in 2004 was over 70,000 members but has been declining ever since. Last year, there were around 55,000 members, which is over a 20 percent drop.
Henderson said there are widening policy gaps between states when it comes to worker rights because of lack of federal action.
“There hasn’t been any policy changes in over 15 years, which means that neighboring states have remarkably different policy landscapes for workers and working families, so that gap continues to grow as the years continue,” said Henderson.
