Section 5 ILCS 315/2.5 - Findings and Declarations; Court ReportersThe General Assembly finds and declares:
(1) It is the public policy of the State of Illinois and the intent of the General Assembly that State employees, including the Illinois official certified court reporters, are granted collective bargaining rights as provided in this Act.(2) The Illinois Supreme Court in the case of AOIC v. Teamsters 726 ruled that the Illinois Public Labor Relations Board could not assert jurisdiction over the Illinois official certified court reporters because the Supreme Court is their co-employer together with the Chief Judges of each judicial circuit. (3) As a result of the Supreme Court's decision, the Illinois official certified court reporters have been denied the labor rights afforded all other State employees, including the rights to organize, to obtain recognition of their chosen collective bargaining representative, and to negotiate with respect to the wages, terms, and conditions of their employment. (4) The General Assembly intends to create a statutory framework to allow Illinois official court reporters to enjoy the same collective bargaining and other labor rights granted to other public employees. (5) Senate Resolution 431 and House Resolution 706, both of the 92nd General Assembly, were adopted, and in enacting this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly, the General Assembly is implementing the intent of those resolutions.Added by P.A. 094-0098, § 5, eff. 7/1/2005.