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Vermont House approves constitutional amendment to enshrine collective bargaining right; 125-15
Summary
The Vermont House on May 1 adopted in concurrence a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would guarantee the right to collectively bargain, sending the question to voters in November 2026. The vote followed extended debate over whether the measure allows compulsory union membership.
The Vermont House of Representatives adopted in concurrence a constitutional proposal to add a constitutional right to collectively bargain, moving the question to the voters on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November 2026.
Representative Krasner of South Burlington, speaking for the House General and Housing Committee, told the chamber the proposal would "provide that the citizens of the state have a right to collectively bargain" and described the measure as a means to protect existing labor rights from future erosion. The committee reported the proposal favorably by a vote of 10-1-0.
The proposal would add Article 23 to chapter 1 of the Vermont Constitution to state that 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…
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