Some say Illinois Workers’ Rights Amendment would empower workers, others say it would cost state

CHICAGO (CBS) — You might be listening to some speak about a so-called Employees’ Rights Modification on the November poll in Illinois.

However what does it really do? CBS 2 Political  Investigator Dana Kozlov reported relying on whom you ask, it could both empower employees or give unions an excessive amount of energy.

Giving Illinois employees the constitutional proper to unionize is now Modification No. 1 on the November poll. These in favor of it, like Joe Bowen with Vote Sure for Employees’ Rights, have billed within the Employees’ Rights Modification.

“The Employees’ Rights Modification may also shield Illinois employees from politicians who attempt to cross anti-worker legal guidelines sooner or later,” Bowen stated.

The modification would particularly “assure employees the elemental proper to prepare and to discount collectively and to barter wages, hours, and dealing situations, and to advertise their financial welfare and security at work.”

“This is applicable to all employees in Illinois – it was written that means intentionally – and it applies to public- and private-sector workers,” Bowen stated.

However critics, like Austen Berg with the conservative Illinois Coverage Institute, declare its passage can be an enormous hit to taxpayers.

“It is a very excessive transfer for Illinois. It should drastically improve the price of authorities. Persons are going to see that in the price of their property tax payments, gasoline tax payments, gross sales tax, earnings tax.

The modification would additionally permit employees “to advertise their financial welfare and security at work,” which Berg says would permit unions to demand issues exterior of the standard wages and advantages – like reasonably priced housing.

He claims that may principally give labor unions carte blanche to ask for no matter they need.

“The powers which might be given on this are so broad that no one even is aware of actually the complete extent of what the consequences of this will likely be – particularly on the way in which our authorities works,” Berg stated.

Bowen replied: “I disagree with that place. What we’re doing is defending your means to hitch with coworkers to barter, and I believe it is essential to remember the fact that we’re speaking about negotiations.”

Bowen stated if the modification passes, workers who need to unionize would nonetheless must observe the identical steps required by federal regulation. He couldn’t say what would occur if an employer retaliates anyway and fires these employees.

Illinois would additionally grow to be the fourth state to have related protections in its structure.