Illinois voters have a unique opportunity to advance workers’ rights in this state in the upcoming elections on November 8th. At the top of the ballot, Amendment 1, also known as the Workers Rights Amendment, offers voters the chance to constitutionally protect the fundamental right of Illinois workers to unionize and collectively bargain over wages, hours, working conditions and economic benefits. Significantly. the amendment would further prohibit the passage of future Right-to -Work laws and other legislation that might curb workers’ union rights.
Not surprisingly, the proposed amendment has generated considerable backlash from those conservative forces that can always be counted on to oppose employee rights in the workplace. These include the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Manufacturers Association, the Illinois Association of School Boards, the National Federation of Independent Businesses and, par for the course, the rightwing Illinois Policy institute.
The November ballot will include arguments for and against the Amendment. Each side on the issue was permitted to draft one paragraph advancing its positions. The forces in favor of the Amendment advance the following the points:
- Nurses will have the right to put patient care before profits.
- The right of construction workers to speak up about safety issues will be protected.
- The rights of firefighters and EMT workers will be protected.
- The economy will be helped because workers will have more money in their pockets to spend at local business.
In contrast, the forces against the Amendment, assert that the language of the Amendmentis too broad and will:
- Restrict freedom of speech and freedom of association by prohibiting laws that would allow workers to decide whether they want to be a union member.
- Will mean that private sector workers who don’t want to be union members may be forced to pay union dues.
- Will prevent Illinois legislators from addressing Illinois’ pension fund deficits.
`All those who support workers’ rights shouldthrow their support behind this amendment. Just a few short years ago, union rights in Illinois were under a direct and imminent threat from then-Governor Bruce Rauner’s anti-labor crusade. The proposed amendment on next month’s ballot would give Illinois workers a strong legal tool to fight back against similar attacks in the future.
At present three states – Hawaii, Missouri and New York – afford constitutional union protections to workers. If Illinois becomes the fourth state to offer this protection, it will be a significant victory for workers’ rights in this state.
Carrie Hewitt is a socialist and a retired attorney living near Chicago.
