Illinois Business
Mandatory paid time off: 'a strain' for Illinois business
Small business owners in Illinois say they know the importance of taking care of their workers, but some view the paid leave requirement as a government-imposed burden.

Illinois enacts mandatory paid leave 'for any reason'
Just Maine and Nevada mandate earned paid time time off and allot employees the freedom to decide how to use it, but Illinois’ law is further reaching, unencumbered by limits based on business size.

Caterpillar workers ratify new 6-year contract with company
Members of the United Auto Workers union approved the deal over the weekend that covers 7,000 employees in Central Illinois and York, Pennsylvania. The new contract is effective immediately.

Stellantis idles Illinois plant, takes step toward closure
The factory, which now employs about 1,350 workers, officially was placed on “idle” by the company on Tuesday. That term means it intends to shut down the plant.

John Deere, farm group reach deal on fixing equipment
The agreement formalizes farmers’ access to diagnostic and repair codes and to manuals and product guides. It also ensures farmers will be able to purchase diagnostic tools directly from John Deere and receive assistance from the manufacturer when ordering parts and products.

Stellantis to idle Belvidere assembly plant, lay off workers
Stellantis says Friday that its Belvidere Assembly Plant will be idled effective Feb. 28 as the automaker “considers other avenues to optimize operations.”

Biden releasing nearly $36B to aid pensions of union workers
The retirement plan has participants in almost every state, with the largest concentration in the Midwest, including 25,000 in Illinois. The program was on track to become insolvent in 2026.

States settle with Google, iHeartMedia over misleading ads
The settlement bars Google from making misrepresentations in endorsements of its products for 20 years. Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Texas and the Federal Trade Commission were part of the settlements.

FAA: Construction can start on new O'Hare terminals
Construction can begin on new passenger terminals at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport following the completion of an environmental review, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Illinois voters approve collective bargaining amendment
With its passage, Illinois is prohibited from becoming a right-to-work state. All employees under union contracts can be required to pay union dues, regardless of political or religious affiliation.
