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Supporters of the amendment say it secures the right for workers
to collectively bargain for wages, hours and working conditions.
But Illinois State Director of National Federation of
Independent Business Chris Davis said the measure would cause
issues for Illinois small businesses.
"Constitutional Amendment No. 1 is very problematic for small
business employers," Davis told The Center Square. "It's a
dramatic expansion of the Federal Labor Relations Act, National
Relations Act.”
The Liberty Justice Center and the Illinois Policy Institute
have brought legal challenges to remove the proposed amendment
from the ballot. After unsuccessful attempts in lower Illinois
courts, they are appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Many who oppose the amendment say it would give labor unions
even more power, resulting in higher taxes. But for Davis, the
uncertainty of it all is a great deterrent.
"National Labor Relations Act protects our workers' rights to
bargain over wages, hours and working conditions. Constitutional
Amendment 1 would dramatically expand that to include an
undefined economic well-being," he said
Chamber president and CEO Todd Maisch recently said to WIFR that
the proposal would give unions more leverage to make demands of
their employers.
"Nobody really knows what that means," Davis said. "It could
dramatically handcuff employers across Illinois. There's really
just an uncertainty on exactly what economic well-being means
and how broadly this will be expanded."
Illinois voters will get a say on the ballot Nov. 8.
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