Leaders aim for workers’ compensation reforms

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Naperville business and political leaders are making the drive down to Springfield this week to lobby for reform of the state’s workers’ compensation system.

On Tuesday, about 15 Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce members went down to the state capital to discuss the issue with local legislators. A group of city leaders including Mayor A. George Pradel are also making the trip. A number of the officials went down Tuesday, while Pradel is going Wednesday.

“Naperville will be very much in force down there,” said Naperville Chamber Vice President Patrick Skarr.

Illinois’ workers’ compensation rates are the third highest in the country behind only Montana and Alaska, according to chamber officials. Over the past several years, as rates dropped across the country, Illinois businesses shouldered rate increases, he said.

According to the chamber, Illinois’ rate is 49 percent higher than the national median. Skarr said that is bad for local businesses.

“Illinois rates are very non-competitive,” he said. “That bad for small businesses” and other business, especially manufacturing.

“The cost of workers’ compensation ... has a direct impact on a business being able to hire or to grow,” he said.

Proponents of the current system, however, say the rules are designed to protect injured workers and to make sure that someone hurt on the job gets medical care and other benefits.

Skarr stressed that the chamber wants to “reform the current system,” not throw it out entirely.

“The system is out of control, broken,” he said.

Something has to be done, he said, “if we are serious about making it easier to create jobs.”

Pradel said workers’ compensation reform is a serious matter.

“It is a very big issue for us,” Pradel said. “We are spending a lot of money” on workers’ compensation claims.

According to the mayor, the issue “needs to be settled at the state level,” which is one reason he and other officials are going down to talk to local legislators.

“We need to have reform,” he said. “It does cost us a lot of money.”