Workers’ Rights Amendment FAQ

Q: What is the Workers’ Rights Amendment? What’s this all about?

A: The Workers’ Rights Amendment will update the Illinois Constitution to guarantee your right to organize and join together with your coworkers to negotiate for pay raises, better benefits and safer workplaces, putting more money in the pockets of working families while keeping all of our communities safe. The Workers’ Rights Amendment prevents politicians from passing anti-worker laws that bring down wages and make workplaces less safe in the future.


Q: Who is the Workers’ Rights Amendment for?
A: The Workers’ Rights Amendment is for every Illinoisan, and will create a new standard for constitutional protections for workers’ rights for all workers.


Q: When is the election? Where is the Worker’s Rights Amendment on my ballot?
A: The Workers’ Rights Amendment will be at the top of your ballot, giving workers the opportunity to vote for themselves first. Election day is November 8, with Early Voting beginning 40 days before election day, September 29.


Q: Who supports the Workers’ Rights Amendment?
A: The Workers’ Rights Amendment has support from a broad coalition of workers, labor unions, and community groups across the state.

Q: What politicians support the Workers’ Rights Amendment?
A: The Workers’ Rights Amendment isn’t about politics, it’s about the workers that keep Illinois going each day. The Worker’s Rights Amendment will protect Illinois from special interest groups and anti-worker politicians that push anti-worker laws that drive down wages and make workplaces less safe.


Q: Does this only apply to public sector workers?
A: No, the Workers’ Rights Amendment protects all Illinois workers in the public and private sectors by guaranteeing their fundamental rights in the workplace in our state constitution.


Q: Doesn’t the federal government control labor policy for private sector workers? How would the Workers’ Rights Amendment help private sector workers?
A: The Workers’ Rights Amendment will update the Illinois Constitution to guarantee your fundamental rights in the workplace, regardless of the industry or sector you work in, protecting the existing rights of millions of workers and creating new protections at the state level for hundreds of thousands of workers not covered by federal policy.


Q: Is this a tax increase?
A: No, there is nothing in the Workers’ Rights Amendment about taxes.


Q: I heard this will raise my property taxes, is that true?
A: No, there is nothing in the Workers’ Rights Amendment about property taxes. This amendment protects workers’ right to bargain for better pay and benefits, putting more money in the pockets of working families and helping them deal with the rising cost of everything from groceries to gas to their property tax bill.


Q: What about pensions? I heard this will make pension costs go up for Illinois taxpayers?
A: No, there is nothing in the Workers’ Rights Amendment about pension costs. This amendment protects workers’ right to bargain for better pay, benefits, and safety conditions and does not affect pensions.


Q: Illinois already has strong labor laws. Why do we need to add them to the constitution?
A: Illinois has always been a workers’ rights state, and the Worker’s Rights Amendment will keep it that way. The Workers’ Rights Amendment will guarantee your fundamental rights in the workplace, and protect you from politicians that try to pass anti-worker laws in the future.
Voting yes for Workers’ Rights will also protect Illinoisans from future attacks on workers’ rights at the federal level. We’ve already seen unprecedented attacks on our civil rights and liberties, and we know more attacks against workers are coming. That’s why it’s important to vote yes for the Workers’ Rights Amendment to make sure your rights are protected at home in Illinois.