The Democrat/Progressive Supermajority in Montpelier isn’t just oblivious to reality. They are actively hostile to it. One has to conclude that they are purposefully attempting to destroy our state economy because nobody could actually be this stupid by sheer accident.
This week, the Vermont Senate passed – unanimously (???!!!) — yet another proposed amendment to the state constitution; this one would enshrine “the right to collectively bargain.” It says:
Proposal 3/Article 23. [Right to collectively bargain] 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 welfare and safety in the workplace. Therefore, no law shall be adopted that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to collectively bargain with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and workplace safety, or that prohibits the application or execution of an agreement between an employer and a labor organization representing the employer’s employees that requires membership in the labor organization as a condition of employment.
While this may sound benign at first glance – the First Amendment already guarantees the right to peaceably assemble, often interpreted as freedom of association – this so-called “right to collectively bargain” effectively strips, in key cases, one’s right to individually bargain on one’s own behalf. That’s not a good thing. But what was truly laugh-out-loud hysterical if it weren’t so painfully absurd were the reasons posed on the floor of the Senate in support of the idea.
Senator Wendy Harrison (D-Windham) said in her presentation, “Proposal 3 is almost identical to an Illinois Amendment passed in 2022,” and proceeded to elaborate on this as a selling point rather than the major red flag that it should be. Let me just say that looking to Illinois for ideas on how to successfully govern a state is like asking Charlie Sheen for advice about health and hygiene.
According to a June 2023 article in Wirepoints, “Illinois’ constant bleed of residents to other states has been well documented by the Census Bureau, the IRS, U-Haul, United Van Lines, and others. Now the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has released data that shows businesses are leaving Illinois, too.”
Among the most prominent companies fleeing the Land of Lincoln are Caterpillar (moved to Texas in 2022), Boeing (moved to Virginia in 2022), Tyson Foods (moved to Arkansas in 2022), TTX (moved to North Carolina in 2023), Citadel (moved to Florida in 2022). Why are they leaving? “[I]t’s not just the switch to remote work and hybrid work that is causing businesses to leave Chicago,” says BuildRemote, “Illinois and Chicago are going through a pension crisis that has brought on tax hikes (and threats of more).” Much like the public pension crisis Vermont is dealing with and our current crop of legislators is blissfully ignoring. And, per Prop 3, they are doing their best to make it worse with this amendment.
The Illinois constitutional amendment referenced by Senator Harrison was pushed into place by union special interests to ensure that real, meaningful reform of the Illinois pension crisis can’t happen and that taxpayers will have to shoulder an ever-growing, increasingly unbearable bill for crony politics—or leave. It looks like option B is pretty popular! Is this what Vermont is trying to imitate?
Part of the Illinois constitutional amendment “strategy” was to block any future attempt by a popularly elected legislature (so much for protecting “our democracy”) to make Illinois a “Right to Work” state. This sentiment was echoed in Vermont by Senators Kesha Ram-Hinsdale and (D-Chittenden Southeast) in her support of Prop 3. Why would anyone want to be in a “Right to Work” state? Well, as of today, there are twenty-six states with Right to Work laws in place, and by and large, they are the ones experiencing economic and population growth (Texas, Florida, Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, etc…) at the expense of those that are not Right to Work states – like Illinois, New York, California, etc., and Vermont.
Taking the argument in support of Prop 3 up a level of “Wait what?”, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden Central) cited Wisconsin under Republican Governor Scott Walker, who successfully implemented Right to Work reforms during his 2011-2019 term, as a cautionary tale. Yeah, okay….
The Commonwealth Foundation of Pennsylvania, taking the more not-idiot approach of trying to imitate the successful state (Wisconsin) and avoid the colossal flame out of the failed state (Illinois) concluded in their analysis that Walker’s Wisconsin reforms,
…resolved Wisconsin’s $3.6 billion deficit without raising taxes and instead enabled historic tax cuts and credits for families and businesses. Notably, Walker implemented the lowest state property taxes since World War II and enabled $8.5 billion in tax relief while in office. Act 10 [which opened the door for merit pay and promotion in teachers’ contracts] led to increased teacher quality, substantial statewide improvements in student achievement.
Sounds horrific. Do save us, Senator Baruth….
Overall, Walker’s reforms saved Wisconsin taxpayers nearly $14 billion between 2012 and 2021. Wisconsinites enjoyed both property tax and income tax cuts. Who would want that for Vermont? Certainly not our current crop of state lawmakers! Passing Prop 3 would ensure we do not experience either of those things in the future. Great thinking!
