A constitutional amendment seeking to codify the right of workers to unionize in Illinois has passed, the Associated Press now projects.
With 100% of precincts reporting as of Tuesday, the AP says that the measure received 58% of the vote, with more than 2.1 million ballots cast in favor of the Workers’ Rights Amendment.
Even though that fell short of the 60% required to amend the state’s constitution, the measure still passed because more than 50% of voters who cast ballots during the midterm election voted in favor of the amendment.
“The voters of Illinois sent a clear message by passing the Workers’ Rights Amendment: Illinois is and always will be a workers’ rights state,” Vote Yes for Workers’ Rights chair Tim Drea said in a statement. “This victory is an historic moment for our workers and our entire state."
Under provisions of the amendment, the right of workers to unionize will now be enshrined in the state’s constitution, and the measure will also prevent the future passage of “right-to-work” laws, which are in effect in more than half of the United States.
Labor groups and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker supported the amendment, while groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Manufacturer’s Association opposed it, saying that it could have unintended consequences for hiring and for property taxes.
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