‘Workers’ Rights Amendment’ website ignores tax hike

The government union-backed website claims Amendment 1 would put more money in the pockets of working Illinoisans, but the change could only benefit the 7% who are government employees. All families would pay $2,149 more in property taxes.

A new government union-backed website misleadingly claims Amendment 1 would change the Illinois Constitution “to guarantee every Illinoisan has the right to join together with other workers to negotiate for better pay, improved benefits, and safe working conditions.”

What they don’t tell voters is that Amendment 1 cannot give bargaining rights to the Illinoisans working in the private sector. Federal law already does that.

Nor would it create new protections against unsafe working conditions for the vast majority of voters. Illinoisans are already afforded those rights under state labor laws and the National Labor Relations Act.

What Amendment 1 would do if passed Nov. 8 is guarantee a $2,149 property tax hike on each Illinois family during the next four years by giving union bosses the nationally unprecedented power to negotiate contract concessions that carry more weight than state law.

The measure would ensure future union strikes over a nearly limitless range of subjects unrelated to wages and benefits. It would allow government union bosses to negate over 350 state laws and give the union contracts dominance over state law. It would make government unions the only special interest with constitutional protection and make Illinois the only state seeing those protections as a good move. It would let government unions protect bad actors from proper discipline, including those who pose a threat to children.

The website is sponsored by Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights, a union-backed independent expenditure committee. It claims Amendment 1 would help voters “build an economy that works for every Illinoisan.”

In reality, the amendment would only benefit the 7% of residents working for state and local governments while the vast majority of voters would see their taxes go up to support greater government union demands that state lawmakers would be prohibited from curbing.

Illinois is already home to the nation’s worst pension debt. Routinely raising taxes to pay these growing retirement promises has driven countless residents and businesses across state lines.

In fact, Illinois reported the second-largest drop in business climate rankings in the nation since 2017. Both departing businesses and Illinoisans cite high taxes as the primary reason for leaving.

Similar claims mislead voters that Amendment 1 “protects all Illinoisans, on the job and off,” by ensuring “workers can speak out about dangerous situations that put all Illinoisans at risk without fear of retaliation from their employer.”

State and local workers are already protected under Illinois’ labor laws, grievance procedures and layers of whistleblower laws against employer reprisals. The ballot measure would also have no impact on private-sector employees.

Approving Amendment 1 would not protect all Illinois workers, only the special interests who want to put themselves above state law. What it would do is raise taxes on every Illinoisan to pay for excessive benefits for those select few.