Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Jobs Program

Teamsters Continue Billion-Dollar Construction Projects Statewide

Teamsters got a green light to rebuild Illinois’ roads, schools and sewers as the state Supreme Court unanimously preserved $31 billion in public works funding today.

The court’s 7-0 ruling protects the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program passed in 2009—the first of its kind in more than a decade to improve the state’s crumbling infrastructure and generate hundreds of thousands of jobs. The Supreme Court shot down allegations that parts of the program were unconstitutional, making way for unions and businesses to continue statewide projects without interruption.

“Illinois needs to get to work—to generate more jobs, to improve the economy—and today’s ruling is going to help us do just that,” said John T. Coli, President of Teamsters Joint Council 25. “The passing of the capital bill was a major success for the Teamsters and for Gov. Pat Quinn, a former Teamster who understands the importance of creating sustainable jobs for working families.”

The capital program is expected to generate and retain more than 439,000 jobs in Illinois within six years. Of authorized funding, the state will spend $15.2 billion on new road construction, $2 billion on mass transit development and $1.5 billion for schools. Illinois has spent roughly $4 billion since 2009 to get several construction projects off the ground.

Since construction began, the state has collected more than $640 million from increases in driver’s fees and additional taxes established by the capital program.

Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents more than 100,000 hardworking men and women throughout Illinois and Indiana, including thousands in the construction trades.

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