Emanuel: Rauner blocking manufacturing job creation in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel is taking aim at Gov. Bruce Rauner by saying the state is preventing new manufacturing jobs from coming to Chicago.

Emanuel addressed the One Thousand Jobs event Monday as he continues his quest to sell Chicago as a great place for manufacturing. But now there's a governor in Springfield who's saying just the opposite.

"We've got manufacturers with "help wanted" signs hanging in the window. You got people walking the streets of Chicago looking for a job," Emanuel said.

During his 10-minute speech, the mayor celebrated what he called the Chicago region's $65 billion "growing" manufacturing industry. World Business Chicago - which sponsored the event at Malcolm X College - estimates more factory jobs are available here than skilled workers to fill them.

"The days of manufacturing just being a job, it's now becoming a career and we want to be best set up for Chicago and the people of Chicago to succeed at the new opportunity that is coming," Emanuel said.

But Gov. Rauner - as he did during his campaign - still says Illinois is losing jobs in the manufacturing sector and companies are reluctant to locate their factories here because of regulations and overly powerful unions.

"I think now that the election is over, the governor needs to switch from a detractor-in-chief to a cheerleader-in-chief," said Jorge Ramirez, Chicago AFL-CIO.

The One Thousand Jobs for Chicagoland goal is to bring together companies, civic leaders and trainers - including the community college system - to close the skills gap and prepare workers for the manufacturing jobs of the future. Like Ramirez, the mayor realizes it's an uphill struggle and he says the governor isn't helping.

"I understand the Governor has an agenda. But having your agenda should not come at the expense of running down either the city or the state you're out there promoting," Emanuel said.

At another point during the interview, the mayor said the governor was "running down" Illinois with his constant criticism of the state's business climate.