March 26, 2015

Statement From Mayor Emanuel On Governor Rauner’s Call On Cities To Pass Right To Work Zone Resolutions

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

“Governor Rauner is continuing his race to the bottom by asking cities like Chicago to pass ‘Right to Work’ zone resolutions. I will not support – and will oppose every step of the way – any such resolution in Chicago because I believe it directly threatens our strategic goal to strengthen Chicago’s middle class, not undermine it. We should instead be focused on rebuilding our neighborhood infrastructure, public transit, public schools, and public parks to keep growing local jobs. And that’s why I’ve launched an effort to build “Right to Thrive” zones that will protect our workers and provide an array of incentives to help businesses create jobs in struggling neighborhoods throughout our city.

Competing against Mississippi and Alabama for low wages is not a strategy to build a great city. When companies look for a new home or a place to grow, our competition is the other great cities of the world like New York, London, Beijing, and Tokyo. By building a stronger local economy with good-paying jobs, Chicago will continue to be among those great cities and every resident, from every neighborhood, will benefit.”

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