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 The same Illinois government unions now running TV
ads to convince voters Amendment 1 “protects nurses” killed a bipartisan bill
this spring in Springfield that would have brought more qualified nurses to
Illinois.
Those government union bosses are now using the plight of over-burdened Illinois
nurses and sick children to tell voters their unions need more power. The
problem is, the state constitutional change they are pushing doesn’t impact
private-sector nurses or other private employees – just the 7% of Illinois
adults working for a state or local government. Federal law covers private
employees and a state constitution cannot overrule federal law.
Unions already had the chance – and refused – to protect nurses in Illinois
earlier this year. The bipartisan Senate Bill 2068 proposed Illinois join
then-34 other states in a national compact that recognizes licenses for all
nurses working in states that belong to the compact. The number of Nurse
Licensure Compact states currently stands at 35, with two more about to join.
Illinois already faced a shortage of nurses before the COVID-19 pandemic began,
and SB 2068 would have allowed more nurses to come to Illinois and quickly help
alleviate the state’s long-term shortage.
Yet after the bill was unanimously passed by the Senate Licensed Activities
Committee, it did not receive another vote.
Who opposed the bill? The Illinois AFL-CIO, the Illinois Nurses Association, and
the Chicago Federation of Labor, all of which publicly filed notices of
opposition. Supporters of the bill greatly outnumbered these union interests,
with nonprofit charities that care for the sick and elderly leading the call to
make it easier for nurses to come to Illinois or travel with their patients
outside the state. Government union bosses had the power where it counted.
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They then filed support for a constitutional amendment which would strengthen
government union power in Illinois. By pushing Amendment 1 – dubbed the
“Workers’ Rights Amendment” by proponents – they are really supporting a radical
change that would give union bosses even more power than they already have and
cement union power in the state constitution – something no other state has seen
as a smart move, and a protection no other special interest has warranted.
Illinois is already an outlier among its neighbors when it comes to granting
government unions power through state statutes. If Amendment 1 passes, it would
make government unions in Illinois more powerful than in any other state and
give union leaders more power than state lawmakers – the people responsible for
Illinois voters’ interests.
There is a stark difference between fighting for union members and fighting to
preserve the power wielded by union bosses. Government unions put this
difference on display when they showed up to support an amendment which would
cement their power in the state constitution while ignoring the needs of nurses
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proponents of Amendment 1 claim voting yes this November will “protect the
workers who protect us.” What it will really do is give government unions the
ability to collectively bargain over essentially anything. If their every demand
is not met, they could strike and state leaders would be powerless to stop them.
And that’s bad news for taxpayers. If voters approve the amendment on Nov. 8,
property taxes for Illinois homeowners already suffering under the
second-highest property tax burden in the nation will rise by over $2,100 more
during the next four years – and that’s a conservative estimate.
Illinois residents and the representatives they elect need to remember this and
stand up to special interests that work only to gather more power and special
treatment. Power should not reside with any special interest. It should be
wielded by Illinois taxpayers, including rank-and-file union members.
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