Governor Quinn Makes Two Appointments to State Labor Relations Board

CHICAGO – September 5, 2009. Governor Pat Quinn today named two new members to the Illinois Labor Relations Board. The governor appointed Anne E. McElroy, a deputy director for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, and Jacalyn J. Zimmerman, an attorney and authority on labor relations issues.

“The Illinois Labor Relations Board governs relations between unions and public employees. This is an extremely important board, so it’s imperative to have experienced and honorable professionals participating as board members,” said Governor Quinn.

McElroy is a deputy director for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, overseeing the Bureau of Personnel. She is responsible for all aspects of personnel administration for 46 agencies under the Governor. McElroy of Decatur has also served as the director of human resources for the Illinois Department of Human Services and as vice president of operations for a hospitality services company. Her term as acting chairperson begins immediately.

Zimmerman is a private practice attorney, dealing with employment law and labor arbitration disputes. She served as General Counsel for the Illinois Labor Relations Board from 1984 to 2006, and previously was a trial attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. She also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology/Chicago-Kent College of Law. Zimmerman of Lake Bluff has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctorate from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Her term starts in mid-October and she will be the board’s chairperson.

The Illinois Labor Relations Board administers the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act, the primary law that governs relations between unions and public employers. The act guarantees the right of employees to organize and to bargain collectively. The board has seven members, including five appointed by the Governor, one appointed by the Cook County Board President and one appointed by the Mayor of Chicago. The board is organized into local and state panels.

The state panel has jurisdiction over collective bargaining matters between employee organizations and public employers such as the State of Illinois (excluding the General Assembly); units of local government such as Illinois counties and municipalities (except those with a population over two million persons); and the Regional Transportation Authority. Both McElroy and Zimmerman will serve on the state panel.

For more information on Illinois Labor Relations Board, please visit www.state.il.us/ILRB.