Illinois to vote on banning 'right to work' in constitution, a model for blue states

Zachary Halaschak - 

Voters in Illinois will decide on Election Day whether to enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution, a strategy that labor organizers might try to replicate in other states.


Illinois to vote on banning 'right to work' in constitution, a model for blue states© Provided by Washington Examiner

Amendment 1, also known as the Workers’ Rights Amendment, would amend the state constitution to block the legislature from promulgating right-to-work laws in the future. Right-to-work laws, which are in place in about half the states, allow workers to decide whether to join a labor union.

Unions in the Prairie State, which already is known for the powerful grip that organized labor has over its workforce, strongly support the measure.

Proponents of the amendment contend that it will help improve working conditions and provide better pay and benefits for workers in Illinois. They also assert that its passage will prevent the rights of workers from being curtailed in the future.

“It’s going to help us put more money in the pockets of Illinoisians,” said Joe Bowen, communications director for Vote Yes on Workers’ Rights, during a recent forum. “When working families do better, they don’t hoard it for themselves. They contribute even more to the communities that they love and call home.”

The state’s Republican Party is vehemently opposed to the measure, though. They fear that handing unions more power will make it more expensive for businesses to operate in the state and could mean that companies will move their operations, and jobs, out of the Land of Lincoln.

The Illinois Policy Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank that opposes the ballot measure, has also argued the amendment would cause taxes to increase for residents across the state.

The group estimates that, because Amendment 1 would give public unions more power in the collective bargaining process, it would increase the average property tax bill that families pay by more than $2,100 over four years — a number that it contends is a conservative estimate.

“Already, the $75 billion in pension debt held by local governments is the main driver of Illinois’ rising property tax burden. But Amendment 1 would give government unions more extreme powers to make demands on taxpayers than have existed in any state in U.S. history, meaning property taxes could be significantly higher than $6,444 for the average family by 2026,” said Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research for the Illinois Policy Institute.

Opponents have also argued that the ballot measure could be construed as redundant, as collective bargaining is already permitted at the federal level under the National Labor Relations Act.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked about the need for the amendment given the NLRA and said it is because corporations hold too much power over individual workers, according to the State Journal-Register.

“Workers ought to be able to get together and go in together to try to get a better wage, a safer workplace, and benefits,” he said. “That’s what we're trying to guarantee.”

While the amendment would be a big deal for the state, it has even broader implications for unions in other states that could use it as a blueprint.

“I gotta tell you, we’re getting a lot of interest on this amendment from other states,” said Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea during a radio appearance on WMAY.

The amendment will not pass with a simple majority. It must get the green light by at least 60% of voters in the upcoming election. Michigan unions tried to pass a similar amendment in 2012, but it was defeated 57% to 42%.

Amendment 1 is the only ballot initiative that Illinois voters will consider during this year’s election. But Pritzker is running for reelection, as is Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).