SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) joined several Senate colleagues Friday voting in support of a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee the right to unionize to Illinois workers.

“Labor rights are intertwined with race, class, and gender struggles, and we must always fight to preserve them,” Peters said. “Declaring a worker's right to collective bargain as a fundamental right guaranteed to everyone who works in Illinois is a major step toward winning the real safety and justice in our communities that we’ve been fighting to secure for generations.”

Peters is a chief co-sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 11, which would prevent the General Assembly or any local units of government from passing laws restricting a worker’s right to collectively bargain for better wages, hours or working conditions.

“The past year has seen some major wins in the fight against systemic oppression, but that fight is far from over, and we need to keep pushing for change that works best for everyone, no matter their ZIP code,” Peters said. “I’m proud to have co-sponsored and supported this measure, and I look forward to continuing similar work as we move forward.”

The resolution passed the Senate with bipartisan support and will next be sent to the House of Representations for consideration. Should it pass that chamber, it would then need to be approved by Illinois voters during the next general election, currently scheduled for Nov. 2022.