Employers may obtain permits from the Department allowing employees to voluntarily work seven consecutive days. As of April 2019, Illinois is not a righttowork state.The IWRA on its face operates to block future state or local Right To Work laws in Illinois. No one can be denied work due to non-membership in a union. Cannot threaten or force someone to join union, participate in strike, or leave employment. " Adding manufacturing jobs. The Act grants certain rights to public employees, labor organizations and public employers. Right-to-work is a term describing state legislation that prohibits employees from being required to join or financially support a labor union. No, Illinois is not a right-to-work state, meaning employees are not exempt from paying union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Bruce Rauner's attempts to curtail prevailing wage laws and make Illinois a righttowork state were a wakeup call.