Illinois Voters Add Union Membership Right to Constitution

Organized labor had a mixed Election Day, with Illinois voters affirming the right to organize and Tennessee enshrining right-to-work legislation into the state’s constitution.

The election unfolded as states have grappled with about of inflation, with rising costs for gasoline and groceries, as well as concerns about a looming recession.

In Illinois, voters approved Amendment 1, which supports a “fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions.”

It also bars enactment of any state law that “interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain.

Tennessee voters said they want to change their Constitution with an amendment to bar companies from requiring union membership as a condition of employment. The change also would make it unlawful for an employer or political subdivision to deny or attempt to deny employment to individuals because of union membership or a refusal to join or affiliate with a labor union. Supporters of the change said state law gives workers a choice of joining or not joining a union.

Nebraskans voted to increase the state minimum wage to $15 from the current $9 an hour by 2026, and the District of Columbia approved letting servers and other tipped workers earn $16.10 per hour by 2027, up from the current $5.35 an hour. Votes were still being tallied on a $12 an hour minimum wage question, in Nevada.