BRATTLEBORO-This November, Vermonters will consider Proposal 3, the workers' rights amendment. As members of Windham County's legislative delegation, we want to explain what this proposed constitutional protection would mean for working Vermonters.
Proposal 3 would enshrine the right to organize and bargain collectively over wages, hours, working conditions, and workplace safety in the Vermont Constitution.
Collective bargaining can have benefits well beyond the workplace. It allows employees to negotiate over safety standards and working conditions that affect the services that businesses and public institutions provide. Supporters also see it as a way to encourage businesses to compete through quality, innovation, and responsible management rather than by undercutting labor standards. Union benefits, including pensions, create financial stability for all Vermonters and our communities.
The amendment would also prevent future right-to-work laws, which can weaken unions by allowing workers to benefit from union-negotiated wages, benefits, and protections without contributing their fair share to the costs of securing them.
Proposal 3 has earned overwhelming tripartisan support in the Vermont Legislature. It passed the Senate unanimously in two consecutive bienniums and received overwhelming support in the House, including from 70% of Republicans voting in 2025.
Importantly, the right to bargain is not the right to win every negotiation. Employers and employees would still need to work through disagreements and reach agreements.
On Nov. 3, Vermonters will decide whether to give these collective bargaining protections a permanent place in our state's Constitution. We encourage everyone to make an informed choice.
Windham County Legislative Delegation
Brattleboro
Sen. Wendy Harrison, Sen. Nader Hashim, Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, Rep. Mollie Burke, Rep. Emily Carris-Duncan, Rep. Zon Eastes, Rep. Leslie Goldman, Rep. Ian Goodnow, Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, Rep. Emily Long, Rep. Christopher Morrow, Rep. Michael Mrowicki, Rep. Laura Sibilia
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