56 Ill. Adm. Code 300.1030
Consolidation/Severance/Class Actions
Section 300.1030 Consolidation/Severance/Class Actions
a) The
Department may, on its own or at the request of a party, consolidate hearings
if it believes a common question of law or fact is involved, consolidation will
expedite the hearings, and no right of any party will be prejudiced.
b) All
parties will be given an opportunity to be heard on the issue of consolidation
and may be severed from the proceeding if the factors in subsection (a) are not
satisfied.
c) The
Department may assist a class of employees and process cases on those employees'
behalf in a class action. An action may be maintained as a class when:
1) The number
of parties is so numerous that joinder of all parties is impracticable;
2) There
are questions of fact or law common to the class that predominate over any
questions affecting only individual members;
3) The
representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interest of the
class; and
4) The
class action is an appropriate method for the fair and efficient adjudication
of the controversy.