Ammons introduces bill to improve conditions for temp workers

SPRINGFIELD — Legislation aimed at improving working conditions for Illinoisans who work in the temporary-jobs industry was introduced Wednesday by state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana.

HB 690, referred to by supporters as the Responsible Job Creation Act, would affect as many as 800,000 Illinois residents employed by temporary-job agencies, primarily in manufacturing and warehouses, according to the American Staffing Association.

"Unfortunately in Illinois, people are suffering, are abused in hard, worn-down temporary jobs, all with no benefits for their families," Ammons said at a Statehouse news conference. "While direct hires at least receive a wage that they can live on, the conditions for temporary workers are not the same."

Workers hired through temp agencies don't undergo the same kind of safety training, are subject to sexual violence and racial harassment, and don't get the same kinds of benefits, Ammons said.

Read more: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-01-25/ammons-introduces-bill-improve-conditions-temp-workers.html