Service Employees International Union, Local 73 v. Illinois Labor Relations Board, State Panel

**Union Loses Fight to Represent Management Positions at Illinois Secretary of State** The Service Employees International Union wanted to represent certain supervisory employees at the Illinois Secretary of State's office in collective bargaining. The union argued that Executive I, Executive II, Drivers Facility Manager I, and Drivers Facility Manager II positions should be considered regular "public employees" with the right to join a union and negotiate wages and working conditions. The Illinois Labor Relations Board disagreed, saying these positions were management roles that couldn't be part of the union. The union appealed this decision to court, but the Illinois Appellate Court sided with the Labor Relations Board in July 2017. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling clarifies that certain supervisory and management positions in state government don't have collective bargaining rights under Illinois law. If you work in a management role for a government agency, you may not be able to join a union or have union representation for workplace issues. However, this only affects specific management positions - regular public employees still maintain their right to union representation. Workers should understand which category their job falls into, as this determines whether they can access union protections and collective bargaining benefits.