Rep. Wood: Constitutional amendment goes to the voters in Nov. 2026
May 12, 2025 | By Rep. Theresa Wood In November 2026, voters will decide whether to amend the Vermont Constitution. An amendment that establishes employees’ right to collectively bargain will be on the ballot. Amending the state constitution is a lengthy process that can only happen every four years and only after two separate legislatures have voted on a proposal.
The process involves the following steps:
A proposed amendment must start in the Senate and must receive an affirmative vote of two-thirds of its members. The vote must be by roll call.
The proposal is then referred to the House, which must approve the proposal by a majority of members. The House cannot change the language; only vote yes or no.
Within 90 days following adjournment, the secretary of state must publish a summary in at least two newspapers for three consecutive weeks. This ends the first biennium process.
In the next biennium, the Senate must vote affirmatively by a majority through roll call.
The House must then vote by a majority of those present. In other words, the proposal must receive the approval of two different legislatures.
If approved, the governor must provide public notice of the proposed amendment.
Between September 25 and October 1 of the year of a general election, the secretary of state must publish the proposal in at least two newspapers for three consecutive weeks.
The proposal is submitted to the voters to ratify by majority vote during a general election.
The governor and secretary of state tabulate the returns on the second Tuesday of December following the vote, and if ratified, it is enrolled as part of the constitution.
The governor issues a proclamation, attested to by the secretary of state, announcing whether the voters ratified the proposed amendment.
The specific language of the proposed amendment, known as Proposal 3 (PR.3) is as follows:
Article 23
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.
The proposal was introduced in 2024. The Senate’s first vote on April 2, 2024, was unanimous, 29-0. The House then voted on April 26, 2024, 129-8 in favor.
This year, the second votes were held. The Senate voted 29-0 in favor on March 20, and the House approved it 125-15 on May 1.
The voters will have their say on this proposal on Election Day in November 2026.
Rep. Theresa Wood, D-Waterbury, represents the Washington-Chittenden House district, which covers Waterbury, Bolton, Huntington and Buels Gore. She chairs the House Human Services Committee. twood@leg.state.vt.us