LIUNA Member Appointed to Lead Department of Labor

Governor Pritzker appointed Michael Kleinik to serve as Director of the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL). Mr. Kleinik began his career as a deputy sheriff in Bond County and then as a Vandalia police officer. He was later elected to two terms as Fayette County Sheriff in 1990 and 1994. He then served as field supervisor for the Midwest Region Foundation for Fair Contracting - an organization dedicated to ensuring the enforcement of laws governing the construction industry. Mr. Kleinik also has experience at the IDOL, having previously held the positions of chief of staff and manager of the Department’s Conciliation and Mediation Division. Mr. Kleinik transitioned from the IDOL to the Chicago Laborers’ District Council Labor-Management Cooperation Committee (LMCC). At that time, he transferred his book from a downstate local to LIUNA Local 4 and served as the LMCC Executive Director until his retirement in 2018.

“We couldn’t ask for a better or more experienced person to lead this agency than Mike Kleinik. He knows the laws inside and out and has the experience necessary to efficiently and effectively run the IDOL. We are confident he will protect Illinois workers and employers who play by the rules. For the past four years, the Department of Labor has been virtually non-existent and contractors who violate the laws have not been held accountable. There’s a lot to catch up on and Mike is the right person for the job,” said James Connolly, Business Manager of the Chicago Laborers’ District Council.

Mr. Kleinik’s appointment is pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate.

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