5 ILCS 315/6 — Illinois Code / Chapter 5 / Act 315 / Section 6
Section 6
Status: in_force

(5 ILCS 315/6) (from Ch. 48, par. 1606) Sec. 6. Right to organize and bargain collectively; exclusive representation; and fair share arrangements. (a) Employees of the State and any political subdivision of the State, excluding employees of the General Assembly of the State of Illinois and employees excluded from the definition of "public employee" under subsection (n) of Section 3 of this Act, have, and are protected in the exercise of, the right of self-organization, and may form, join or assist any labor organization, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing on questions of wages, hours and other conditions of employment, not excluded by Section 4 of this Act, and to engage in other concerted activities not otherwise prohibited by law for the purposes of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, free from interference, restraint or coercion. Employees also have, and are protected in the exercise of, the right to refrain from participating in any such concerted activities. Employees may be required, pursuant to the terms of a lawful fair share agreement, to pay a fee which shall be their proportionate share of the costs of the collective bargaining process, contract administration and pursuing matters affecting wages, hours and other conditions of employment as defined in Section 3(g). (b) Nothing in this Act prevents an employee from presenting a grievance to the employer and having the grievance heard and settled without the intervention of an employee organization; provided that the exclusive bargaining representative is afforded the opportunity to be present at such conference and that any settlement made shall not be inconsistent with the terms of any agreement in effect between the employer and the exclusive bargaining representative. (c) A labor organization designated by the Board as the representative of the majority of public employees in an appropriate unit in accordance with the procedures herein or recognized by a public employer as the representative of the majority of public employees in an appropriate unit is the exclusive representative for the employees of such unit for the purpose of collective bargaining with respect to rates of pay, wages, hours and other conditions of employment not excluded by Section 4 of this Act. Unless otherwise mutually agreed, a public employer is required at least once each month and upon request, to furnish the exclusive bargaining representative with a complete list of the names and addresses of the public employees in the bargaining unit, provided that a public employer shall not be required to furnish such a list more than once per payroll period. The exclusive bargaining representative shall use the list exclusively for bargaining representation purposes and shall not disclose any information contained in the list for any other purpose. Nothing in this Section, however, shall prohibit a bargaining representative from disseminating a list of its union members. At the time the public employer provides such list, it shall also provide to the exclusive representative, in an Excel file or other mutually agreed upon editable digital file format, the employee's job title, worksite location, work telephone numbers, identification number if available, and any home and personal cellular telephone numbers on file with the employer, date of hire, work email address, and any personal email address on file with the employer. In addition, unless otherwise mutually agreed, within 10 calendar days from the date of hire of a bargaining unit employee, the public employer shall provide to the exclusive representative, in an electronic file or other mutually agreed upon format, the following information about the new employee: the employee's name, job title, worksite location, home address, work telephone numbers, and any home and personal cellular telephone numbers on file with the employer, date of hire, work email address, and any personal email address on file with the employer. (c-5) No employer shall disclose the following information of any employee: (1) the employee's home address (including ZIP code and county); (2) the employee's date of birth; (3) the employee's home and personal phone number; (4) the employee's personal email address; (5) any information personally identifying employee membership or membership status in a labor organization or other voluntary association affiliated with a labor organization or a labor federation (including whether employees are members of such organization, the identity of such organization, whether or not employees pay or authorize the payment of any dues or moneys to such organization, and the amounts of such dues or moneys); and (6) emails or other communications between a labor organization and its members. As soon as practicable after receiving a request for any information prohibited from disclosure under this subsection (c-5), excluding a request from the exclusive bargaining representative of the employee, the employer must provide a written copy of the request, or a written summary of any oral request, to the exclusive bargaining representative of the employee or, if no such representative exists, to the employee. The employer must also provide a copy of any response it has made within 5 business days of sending the response to any request. If an employer discloses information in violation of this subsection (c-5), an aggrieved employee of the employer or his or her exclusive bargaining representative may file an unfair labor practice charge with the Illinois Labor Relations Board pursuant to Section 10 of this Act or commence an action in the circuit court to enforce the provisions of this Act, including actions to compel compliance, if an employer willfully and wantonly discloses information in violation of this subsection. The circuit court for the county in which the complainant resides, in which the complainant is employed, or in which the employer is located shall have jurisdiction in this matter. This subsection does not apply to disclosures (i) required under the Freedom of Information Act, (ii) for purposes of conducting public operations or business, or (iii) to the exclusive representative. (c-10) Employers shall provide to exclusive representatives, including their agents and employees, reasonable access to employees in the bargaining units they represent. This access shall at all times be conducted in a manner so as not to impede normal operations. (1) Access includes the following: (A) the right to meet with one or more employees on the employer's premises during