Castro: Rauner shows once again he is no friend of working class

• Workers Rights
• Labor
• Human Rights

ELGIN – State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) said Gov. Bruce Rauner once again showed his true colors by vetoing a worker protection measure this week.

Rauner vetoed Castro’s House Bill 4572, a powerful human rights measure that would protect all employees across the state from work-related discrimination and retaliation.

“It’s troubling that once again Gov. Rauner has failed to empower and stand up for the rights of workers,” Castro said. “No matter the size of the business, all employees should have the means to stand up for themselves and the assurances that they are protected by law.”

Castro’s measure would have expanded the Illinois Human Rights Act to cover employers of any size, as current law only covers employers with 15 or more employees. This measure would have given all employees under Illinois law the means to challenge work-related discrimination and retaliation.

“Expanding the Illinois Human Rights Act is the right thing to do,” Castro said. “At this point, though, I am disappointed but not surprised that our governor has chosen to once again overlook the working class.”

Last week, Castro sent another worker protection bill – House Bill 4163 – to the governor’s desk. This legislation is crucial for protecting working women in Illinois. Castro is urging Gov. Rauner to sign this bill as soon as possible.

“This measure won’t completely erase the problem of wage disparity between men and women in the state, but it will go a long way toward helping to prevent it,” Castro said. “If Gov. Rauner fails to sign this monumental legislation, he’ll show once again that he is not a friend of working women or women of color. I implore Gov. Rauner to consider the needs of the people of Illinois over his corporate friends and to do the right thing by signing the bill.”

Castro vows to continue to support working men and women across the state to ensure everyone has equal rights and is paid a fair wage, even if the governor refuses to.

Castro to help job seekers connect with local employers

• Community Event
• Jobs
• Job Fair

ELGIN – Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) will be hosting a manufacturing job fair this month to help connect job seekers with local employers. She will be joined by Hanover Township.

“I am excited to connect job seekers with local employers in the area,” Castro said. “This gives job seekers a chance to bring in their resume and possibly be interviewed on the spot. It’s not only going to benefit workers, but also employers in the area.”

What: Manufacturing Job Fair
When: Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Where: Hanover Township Senior Center
Who: State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin)
          Hanover Township

Castro partners with U-46 and Streamwood High to host community shred event

• Community Event
• Shred Event
• 2018

STREAMWOOD – Consumer fraud and identity theft are growing epidemics in our communities. To raise awareness and to promote prevention, State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin), School District U-46 and Streamwood High School are offering free paper shredding services for area residents.

To help reduce the chances of identity theft, experts recommend shredding things like bank statements, credit card offers and credit card convenience checks. Residents should also shred canceled credit cards, canceled checks, pay stubs, old photo IDs and tax returns that are more than three years old.

To accommodate all participants the limit is two boxes of residential shredding per a person. Boxes and bags will be returned.

No business shredding will be accepted.

Date: Saturday, Aug. 18
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
Location: Streamwood High School (701 Schaumburg Rd., Streamwood)

For more information, call Castro’s office at (847) 214-8864.

Castro urges signing of legislation protecting working women

• Equal Pay
• HB 4163

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D – Elgin) issued the following statement regarding House Bill 4163.

“Tomorrow, we will send House Bill 4163 to the Governor’s desk. This legislation is crucial for protecting working women in Illinois, and I am urging the Governor to sign this bill as soon as possible.

“Women in Illinois are paid significantly less for doing work comparable to what their male counterparts do, earning on average 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. The gap is even worse among women of color, as black women only earn 63 cents for every dollar, and Hispanic and Latina women earn only 48 cents.

“In total, working women in Illinois lose out on nearly $20 billion because of preventable wage gap issues. This lost income makes it even harder for already struggling working class families to be able to afford their basic goods and services, and it’s based on nothing but the sex of the employee. It’s shameful and frankly embarrassing that such a discrepancy still exists in 2018, and we need to do all we can to stop it.

“If this bill becomes law, employers will no longer be able to ask potential new hires about their salary history. This practice is used to artificially reduce the compensation earned by women, since employers can then use the answer to this question to pay based on history, and not based on what the work should actually earn.

“In addition, HB 4163 gives employees who find themselves the victims of unfair pay practices a method to seek compensation, including the recovery of the lost wages, punitive damages, injunctive relief and reimbursement of court and attorney fees.

“This bill won’t completely erase the problem of wage disparity between men and women in the state, but it will go a long way toward helping to prevent it. If Bruce Rauner fails to sign this important legislation, he’ll show once again that he is not a friend of working women or women of color in Illinois. I implore Governor Rauner to consider the needs of the people of Illinois over his corporate friends, and to do the right thing by signing the bill.”