As AI evolves, AFSCME is ready for the fight
Last spring—when AFSCME Council 31’s AI regulation bill, known as the Meaningful Human Control of Artificial Intelligence Act, House Bill 4980, was introduced in the General Assembly—lawmakers and most of the public were focused on chatbots, like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude. Called large language models, these tools create entirely new content in response to a user’s input.
In just six months since, the AI landscape has radically shifted. While chatbots show no sign of falling in popularity, an even more powerful form of AI technology—agentic AI—has come onto the scene, posing further danger to our livelihoods.
Instead of simply entering a prompt into a chatbot and receiving some sort of content in response, agentic AI is autonomous technology that can make and execute decisions without any human input.
For example, an AI agent could be set up to not only determine whether applicants for public assistance are eligible, but to issue denials without any human oversight of the decision-making process.
AI agents are being sold to and deployed across the public and private sectors at a rapid pace, and with the Trump administration showing no willingness to regulate this technology, it’s up to working people to protect our jobs and the services we provide.
Despite big tech opposition, AFSCME continues pushing bill limiting AI
The AFSCME-backed AI bill, HB 4980, would be a strong start to prevent AI technology from being used in employment decisions like hiring, firing, promotion and performance evaluations by a public-sector employer.
The bill requires human oversight and control over any automated decision, requires employers to negotiate with unions before acquiring and deploying any AI system, and requires the suspension of any such technology if an independent audit finds bias or inaccuracies until remedied. The bill also establishes strong enforcement mechanisms and anti-retaliation protections for employees.
Unfortunately, when the bill was introduced in the state House of Representatives in the spring, it faced difficult headwinds both from the tech lobby and from the Pritzker administration, whose team pushed to bury it without proposing alternative language. As a result, the bill was never called for a vote.
Instead, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Pritzker signed the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act. It includes some important provisions but doesn’t regulate how employers use AI nor protect jobs in any way.
Gov. Pritzker has signaled he’ll focus on passing the Illinois POWER Act—a data center regulation bill—and has announced the creation of an AI cabinet, but there’s no indication that a labor representative will be included.
Staying vigilant at the bargaining table
AFSCME is committed to the legislative fight to make the Meaningful Human Control of Artificial Intelligence Act into law in Illinois. But as that fight continues, members should be sure to take the fight to other arenas—like the bargaining table.
“As AI technology continues to advance, protecting ourselves in the workplace is more important than ever. That’s why AFSCME members should be vigilant about ways that management may try to incorporate AI in their workplace,” said AFSCME Council 31 Regional Director Dave Beck, who serves on the AFSCME International Future of Work and Technology Task Force. “No matter the reason, management must bargain the implementation of AI if it impacts our work. AFSCME members should let their staff representative know when they hear that AI may be introduced at work so that we can protect our rights and the integrity of our work against AI abuses.”
At the bargaining table, some AFSCME locals are already beginning to confront the threat of AI. One ongoing battle is taking place in Cook County, where Sheriff Tom Dart is seeking to acquire an AI-enabled surveillance technology for use in Cook County Jail.
AFSCME Local 2226 is engaging in impact bargaining with the employer to make sure that the technology can’t be used to discipline employees, a sworn officer retains decision-making authority, and questionable facial recognition tech can’t be used in any circumstance. Other AFSCME locals have also begun negotiating over AI in their collective bargaining agreements.
AI development is showing no sign of slowing down. That’s why our union will stay aware and ready to fight back wherever and whenever we can to protect our jobs and the services that Illinois residents depend on.