Proposal 3: VT's Workers Rights Amendment

What is Proposal 3?

Proposal 3 is a proposed amendment to the Vermont constitution that would add the right to join a union and collectively bargain to Vermont’s constitution. 

What is the proposed amendment?

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.

If passed on November 3, 2026, this language will be enshrined into Vermont's Constitution.

What does it mean?

This amendment makes joining a union and the ability to collectively bargain a constitutional right in Vermont.  It constitutionally protects the current state of labor law in Vermont.  It does NOT supersede federal law.  It stops any future attempt to make Vermont a “right to work” state, something that is still occurring around the county.  

Have other states done this?

Yes, Illinois passed a very similar amendment in 2022.

What happens next in Vermont?

The language will appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.  Every Vermont voter will receive a ballot with the Proposal 3 language on it.