By Peter Hancock
Illinois voters have approved a State constitutional amendment guaranteeing workers the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining.
Estimates compiled by multiple media outlets projected Tuesday, Nov. 15 that the ballot measure had support on an estimated 53% of the total ballots cast in the election, with more than 95% of the ballots counted. That’s enough for approval under one of two paths to passage for a Constitutional amendment in Illinois.
The Amendment, which will be added to the Bill of Rights of the Illinois Constitution, states that employees have a fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively “for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work.”
It prohibits State and local governments from enacting laws that interfere with that right, including passage of so-called “right-to-work” laws, which prohibit requiring membership in a union as a condition of employment.
On election night, the Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights campaign declared victory, but media outlets were slow to confirm that due to the complicated rules in Illinois for passing a constitutional amendment.
The State Constitution provides two pathways for passing an amendment. It must either be approved by 60% of all those voting on the measure or by more than 50% of all ballots cast in the election.
According to projections, the amendment received approximately 2.1 million “yes” votes and 1.5 million votes against. That’s 58.4% of the votes cast on that issue but approximately 53% of all the ballots cast in the election.
“From day one, the Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights campaign has been based on the simple idea that every Illinois worker deserves better. Better pay, stronger benefits, and safer workplaces don’t just help workers thrive; they strengthen our State and keep us all safe,” Illinois AFL-CIO president Tim Drea said in a statement on election night.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government.
— Capitol News Illinois