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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING THE CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN WORKERS
WHEREAS, the Chicago Horticultural Society opened the Chicago Botanic Garden (“the Garden”) in 1972. The Forest Preserves of Cook County owns the 385-acre land that currently houses the Garden, creating one of the world’s great living museums and one of the treasures of the Forest Preserves; and
WHEREAS, the Forest Preserves of Cook County contributes significant financial support as one of the largest public funders of the Garden to date; and
WHEREAS, the Garden employs over 400 workers throughout the County, both at its main location in Glencoe, Illinois, and at their Windy City Harvest locations, including 10 urban farms in the city of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, the Garden workers include full-time, seasonal, and part-time employees in areas ranging from administration to horticulture, landscape, education, public programs, visitor experience, Windy City Harvest, and more; and
WHEREAS, the Garden celebrates their diverse workforce, which allows the Garden "to create extraordinary and welcoming experiences” for all county residents; and
WHEREAS, to continue the vision of being a world-renowned living museum and making a difference in communities throughout the County, it is critical to support and uplift the Garden’s workforce; and
WHEREAS, organized labor has deep historical roots in the Chicagoland area and unions represent a large and diverse number of workers; and
WHEREAS, according to a 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Treasury, workers who are a part of labor unions report better non-wage features of the workplace, such as workplace safety and flexible scheduling; and
WHEREAS, the Union Members 2024 Report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on January 28, 2025, found that “Nonunion workers had median weekly earnings that were 85 percent of earnings for workers who were union members ($1,138 versus $1,337),” and
WHEREAS, the Economic Policy Institute released a report in 2023 that showed that “the racial wealth gap among union members is substantially lower than for nonunion households,” as union representation helped to reduce racial pay disparities and to increase equity; and
WHEREAS, the Garden employees are currently engaging in organizing efforts to attempt to form a union; and
WHEREAS, from 2022 to the present, workers at different cultural institutions around Cook County have successfully voted to unionize, and some are currently enjoying the benefits of their first contract; and
WHEREAS, the workers at the Garden intend to file petitions with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize their workplaces and negotiate various workplace benefits.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board of Commissioners expresses firm support for workers at the Chicago Botanic Garden and urges the Garden to accept card check neutrality, demonstrating the Garden as an employer committed to recognizing the autonomy of workers to exercise their rights.
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