Union leaders declare victory for Illinois workers' rights amendment

Union leaders in Illinois are declaring victory for a constitutional amendment codifying Illinois workers' rights to collectively bargain.

Meanwhile, some opponents of the proposed amendment claim the vote tally is still too close to call.

"Based on the current vote count and our campaign's internal data, it is clear that the workers' rights amendment will pass," said Samantha McClain, Vote Yes for Workers' Rights campaign director. "We firmly believe that after every vote is counted, the amendment will be approved by an overwhelming majority of Illinois voters."

However, officials at the conservative think tank Illinois Policy Institute, which opposed the amendment, argue late tabulations of votes and mail-in ballots could turn the tide.

"The fact that the vote is too close to call right now speaks to Illinoisans' distrust in enshrining costly new provisions into the Constitution that could handcuff them for years to come," Matt Paprocki, the institute's president, said in a piece on the group's website.

Amending the state's Constitution is a difficult proposition. Either 60% of votes on the question or more than 50% of all ballots cast in the election have to support it.

At noon, The Associated Press was reporting 58.7% of voters approved the measure with 90% of the vote counted.

While that falls below the 60% threshold of votes cast on the issue, supporters believe they'll wind up with more than 50% of all ballots cast supporting the amendment.

"The Chicago Federation of Labor, our affiliate unions, and their incredible, hardworking members came together to ensure every Illinois worker gets a fair shake and to protect their rights from the special interest groups and anti-worker politicians that have been attacking workers for years," said Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor and Vote Yes for Workers' Rights treasurer.

This is the first time such language has been attempted to be added to the Illinois Constitution. According to Ballotpedia, Hawaii, Missouri and New York already have similar workers' rights codified in their state Constitutions.

Dubbed the "workers' rights amendment" because it also would prevent any future law that "interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively," the question was viewed by detractors as an overt attempt to draw union workers, largely seen as Democratic Party loyalists, to the ballot boxes.