Your vote on workers rights Illinois Supreme Court can help improve the lives of working families HEAD TOPICS
Your vote on workers rights Illinois Supreme Court can help improve the lives of working families
10/22/2022 9:01:00 PM They are three of the most important campaigns now unfolding in Illinois in the Nov 8 election
Source Chicago Sun-Times
From CSTopinion: 'This November, voters have a chance to shape the future of Illinois — but not in the usual races,' writes Tim Drea. They are three of the most important campaigns now unfolding in Illinois in the Nov 8 election Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesThis November, voters have a chance to shape the future of Illinois — but not in the usual races.In addition to the top-of-the-ticket races for governor, Congress and other state and local offices, voters will have a chance to weigh in on three of the most important campaigns now unfolding in Illinois: the Workers’ Rights Amendment and two vacancies on the Illinois Supreme Court. These races will have long-term consequences and offer an opportunity to improve the lives of working families in our state. Read more:
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Bella Rasmussen, an 18-year-old running back for Laguna Beach (California) High School, became the first girl to score two touchdowns in a game. Read more >> Illinois to vote on banning 'right to work' in constitution, a model for blue statesVoters in Illinois will decide on Election Day whether to enshrine collective bargaining in the state constitution, a strategy that labor organizers might try to replicate in other states. In a healthy economy this could lead to more people being able to earn a living wage or better 💪 This is to force workers into unions. Then unions contribute to the dems. This is not rocket science. I bet the people for it are not in unions Illinois wants fewer jobs and a worse economy. Free markets and freedom to work are principles that create jobs and wealth. Government mandates and government regulations kill jobs. ACLU asks Supreme Court to invalidate laws banning anti-Israel boycottsThe American Civil Liberties Union asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to review a lower court’s ruling against boycotting Israel, arguing the restriction impedes on First Amendment rights. Column: How Congress could rein in the rogue Supreme CourtAfter the Supreme Court lurched to the far right on abortion, gun control and other fronts, ideas for placing limits on its power are proliferating. The Supreme Court isn’t rogue. Ridiculous What rogue SCOTUS? Not my problem RBG didn't retire under Obama's 1st term when everyone told her to. She doubled down, bet all in, and lost it all by ending up dying under Trump. Her fault. the supreme court rules on cases in ways the times doesn't like, so the heavy fist of government is obviously needed to right that 'wrong'. i see which party is threatening democracy again? LA City Council OKs law targeting misleading pregnancy services centersThe ordinance is a response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in June, striking down the federal constitutional right to an abortion. Justice Sonia Sotomayor talks the importance of civic engagement, her career on the benchIn a visit to Chicago, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor discussed her work as a judge and reckoning with increasing polarization in today’s politics. 'I always try to find the good in everybody. I look for the things that they do that are good.' Active duty service member suicide rate was down in 2021, but still an issue for the US militaryA Pentagon spokesperson said the U.S. military and defense leadership are actively working to try and find ways to improve service members' lives. Voters at the Chicago Board of Elections Supersite at 191 N.TAXACHUSETTS? 4% MILLIONAIRE SURTAX ON BAY STATE BALLOT “It’s going to help us put more money in the pockets of Illinoisians,” said Joe Bowen, communications director for Vote Yes on Workers’ Rights, during a recent forum.Follow Us.Column: Why we need term limits for Supreme Court justices The idea of imposing a term limit on Supreme Court justices is gaining traction. Clark St. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times This November, voters have a chance to shape the future of Illinois — but not in the usual races. They contribute even more to the communities that they love and call home. In addition to the top-of-the-ticket races for governor, Congress and other state and local offices, voters will have a chance to weigh in on three of the most important campaigns now unfolding in Illinois: the Workers’ Rights Amendment and two vacancies on the Illinois Supreme Court. These races will have long-term consequences and offer an opportunity to improve the lives of working families in our state. They fear that handing unions more power will make it more expensive for businesses to operate in the state and could mean that companies will move their operations, and jobs, out of the Land of Lincoln. The Workers’ Rights Amendment aims to expand the Illinois Bill of Rights to give employees the fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively to promote their economic welfare and safety at work.) “People often think about ‘jurisdiction’ as whether the courts can hear a certain case at all,” Fishkin says. If approved by the voters, it will guarantee Illinois workers the right to come together and negotiate with their employers to improve working conditions. The group estimates that, because Amendment 1 would give public unions more power in the collective bargaining process, it would increase the average property tax bill that families pay by more than $2,100 over four years — a number that it contends is a conservative estimate. Opinion bug Opinion The other two races, at the end of the ballot, are just as important. Maintaining a worker-friendly majority on the state Supreme Court will assure that the Workers’ Rights Amendment, if passed, will be upheld. But Amendment 1 would give government unions more extreme powers to make demands on taxpayers than have existed in any state in U. Indeed, it will do more than that. The two Supreme Court vacancies are arguably the most significant races on the ballot; the justices who sit on our state’s highest court are the ultimate arbiters of Illinois law. history, meaning property taxes could be significantly higher than $6,444 for the average family by 2026,” said Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research for the Illinois Policy Institute. That would have required anticipating Chief Justice John G. The seats at stake are for the 2nd judicial district, which includes Kane and Lake counties; and the 3rd district, which includes DuPage and Will counties. The seats from these two newly redrawn districts will be held for 10 years, and will be crucial in Illinois for protecting working families, a woman’s right to choose, and LGBTQ+ equality — the very rights we are now seeing our neighboring states dismantle. Democratic Gov. Illinoisans can no longer rely on the U.S.B. Supreme Court to protect basic employee rights or, sadly, other personal rights. It’s unclear how jurisdiction-stripping might function if Congress codifies abortion rights by law, as Democrats have promised to do if they retain control of both houses; given that states are the source of abortion restrictions in the wake of Dobbs, Congress might wish to leave some authority in the court’s hands to rule on state-level restrictions. In its recent terms, the court has discarded decades of settled law in many areas. “Workers ought to be able to get together and go in together to try to get a better wage, a safer workplace, and benefits,” he said. Notoriously, it threw out four decades of precedent with the Janus vs. AFSCME decision, handed down in 2018 and undermining worker bargaining in the public sector.” While the amendment would be a big deal for the state, it has even broader implications for unions in other states that could use it as a blueprint. As we have seen in recent months, the current court majority has no qualms about invalidating long-established rights — even those as important as guaranteeing basic voter representation. We must look to state law for protection. Whether that trend has reached a crisis stage for the court is still open to question. Related Workers rights amendment would be good for public budgets Here in Illinois, the state Supreme Court has been a safety net on issues important to workers. In recent years, the state court has ruled on numerous important employment-related laws, including those governing the minimum wage, overtime and fair hour standards, on-the-job safety, unemployment benefits, prevailing wage standards for construction workers and employee rights for home care workers. The Illinois Supreme Court that we elect will also have final authority over any disputes involving the Workers’ Rights Amendment, which has already been unsuccessfully challenged in the lower court. When you vote this year, make sure you know all about the issues at stake — even at the end of the ballot. Tim Drea is president of the Illinois AFL-CIO. That’s a departure from the court’s behavior the last time it was seen as well out of step with public sentiment — in the 1930s, when it delivered a string of decisions overturning New Deal programs and obstructing policies such as the minimum wage. The Sun-Times welcomes letters to the editor and op-eds. (The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not reflect those of the Chicago Sun-Times or any of its affiliates.) Next Up In .