ILLINOIS (WCIA) – An amendment to the Illinois Constitution will be on the ballot in November. A new study says it could boost the economy.
The report comes from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and U of I researchers. They looked at the proposed Workers’ Rights Amendment. If passed, it would guarantee the right to unionize.
Researchers say it could improve conditions for workers across the state, ensure $43 billion in annual income, and prevent laws that interfere with collective bargaining over things like wages, hours and safety.
“While this doesn’t immediately change anything in the operation of the law, what it does is send a strong statement that collective bargaining is respected in the state,” one of the authors of the report, U of I Labor Education Program Director and Professor Robert Bruno said.
He said if passed, the Workers’ Rights Amendment could help address equity across the labor market. Benefits would be heightened for women, people of color and low-wage workers. You can read the report here.