House committee holds walkthrough of Proposition 3, proposed constitutional right to collectively bargain

The House Committee on General and Housing on April 9, 2025 held an introductory walkthrough of Proposition 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish a constitutional right to collectively bargain in Vermont. Sophie Sedatny of the Office of Legislative Counsel briefed the committee and the panel penciled in a public hearing for April 22, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 10; written comments are due the Sunday before the hearing at 5:00 p.m., and testimony will generally be limited to three minutes.

Sedatny, who presented a slide version of the amendment because a “clean copy” was not available, read the amendment’s operative language and stressed key features and uncertainties. Quoting the draft, she summarized the first clause: “employees have a right to organize or join a labor organization for the purpose of collectively bargaining with their employer through an exclusive representative of their choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety in the workplace.” She also read the amendment’s…