Now the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act has Teeth

Dec 12

Historic Win for Illinois Workers: SB2339 Ends the Abuse of No-Match Letters and Protects Immigrant Workers’ Rights

For decades, employers across Illinois have weaponized Social Security No-Match letters and third-party “immigration status” notices to silence workers, break organizing efforts, and retaliate against anyone standing up for better working conditions. These tactics created a climate of fear designed to keep workers quiet—and employers unaccountable.

In 2025, that cycle of intimidation has finally begun to break.

After more than a year of relentless organizing by Chicago Workers Collaborative and our statewide partners, the Illinois General Assembly passed SB2339, a set of powerful amendments to the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act that strengthens protections for immigrant workers and ends the long-standing misuse of federal and third-party notices.

This win is not just a policy change. It is a shift in power:

Protection from discrimination: Employers can no longer abuse no-match letters or third-party notices to intimidate workers or suppress our rights.
Clear workplace protections: Workers now have guaranteed rights when employers receive information that raises questions about their status, including 5-day notice periods and the right to representation.
Real enforcement power: For the first time, CWC and our partners have the legal authority to take violators directly to court. That is a monumental shift. It means workers don’t have to wait for someone else to decide their rights are worth protecting. We can defend those rights ourselves.

Workers at the Labor Committee Meeting advocating for the **End of the Abuse of No-Match Letters**

SB2339 is a message to every worker in Illinois: Your dignity is not negotiable.

This victory belongs to the workers who refused to be intimidated, the organizers who showed up day after day, and the communities who demanded accountability. It marks a new era, one where immigrant workers are safer, stronger, and better protected under Illinois law.

Mil Gracias a Nuestros Campeones / A Thousand Thanks to our Champions

This victory wouldn't be possible without the courageous leadership of Senator Javier Cervantes and Leader Edgar Gonzalez, who stood with immigrant workers and all workers when it mattered most. Their commitment to our community never wavered.