(The Center Square) – A Chicago alderwoman says she will not give up the fight for workplace heat protection mandates on employers, despite opposition from Illinois manufacturers who say the measure would make it more difficult to do business in the city.
Alderwoman Maria Hadden’s proposal requires employers to provide shade when the outdoor heat index exceeds 80 degrees and 15-minute cooling periods every two hours when the heat index exceeds 90. The measure also includes temperature monitoring requirements, training, record keeping and other provisions.
Hadden posted a video on social media after her ordinance was not called for a vote last week.
“We were able to prevent the ordinance from being voted down, which is a good thing,” Hadden said.
Patrick Schweska, general counsel for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, said many Illinois businesses have facilities both inside and outside the city.
“You could create a framework in which you have an enforcement regime within one particular municipality, but then outside of that municipality, you’re subject to a different enforcement regime where you’re allowed to do your workplace safety standards as you had normally done them,” Schweska told The Center Square.
Schweska said the ordinance would create a Chicago-specific workplace safety system that would make it more difficult to do business in the city.
The Center Square asked Schweska about the ordinance’s private right of action provision that would allow workers to recover civil damages and potentially impact taxpayers with additional court proceedings.
Schweska said similar measures have been introduced in Chicago and by state lawmakers in Springfield.
“They’re continuing to sneak private rights of action into legislation that continue to put businesses on the hook. And it makes no distinction between bad actors and good faith mistakes as well,” Schweska said.
Chicago’s workplace heat ordinance was introduced in 2023 and stalled without a vote last week.
Schweska told The Center Square that Chicago employers could face different sets of regulations from city, state and federal governments.
“It continues to give businesses pause as to whether they want to locate here, whether they want to be here, or whether they want to continue investing at a time when I would say that both the city and the state could really use it given the fiscal environment,” Schweska said.
The city council is scheduled to meet again Tuesday.
