The Right to Work for Less

The Right to Work for Less

With labor unions on the decline in much of America and legislation increasingly favoring the wealthy and powerful, the working and middle classes are being stripped of their dwindling supply of freedoms. One of the newer methods being brought about in several states is called “Right-to-Work” laws, which prohibit the former practice of mandating that “all workers, whether they're in the union or not, to pay dues to the union for negotiating with management (1).” Since their enactment, many unions have voiced their opposition towards Right-to-Work. Let’s examine some of the key reasons why.

. “A 2011 study by the labor-backed Economic Policy Institute found that wages and benefits are lower in right-to-work states than in non-right-to-work states (1)”.

. “Oklahoma has actually seen a reversal of the initial growth in manufacturing jobs since its right-to-work law passed in 2001 (1)”.

. “By making it harder for workers’ organizations to sustain themselves financially, RTW laws aim to restrict the share of state employees who are able to represent themselves through collective bargaining, and to limit the effectiveness of unions in negotiating higher wages and benefits for their members (2).”

. “For those states looking beyond traditional or low wage manufacturing jobs – whether to higher-tech manufacturing, to “knowledge” sector jobs, or to service industries dependent on consumer spending in the local economy – there is reason to believe that right-to-work laws may actually harm a state’s economic prospects (2).”

As a result of its application equating to drastic erosions of rights for workers, one may think that these laws would be highly unfavorable. However, this has not proven to be the case. “Right-to-work legislation has been filed in twelve states; this is in addition to the twenty-two that already have such laws on the books. In Virginia, the corporations and right-wing ideologues decided that the existing right-to-work law wasn’t sufficient, and introduced a measure to embed the right-to-work provisions in the state Constitution. Three more states—Montana, Ohio and Wisconsin—are expected to have bills introduced converting their legal status to right-to-work” (3).

In an era of assault on workers brought about by the elite, we must decide who to support. Should we sit passively by while these and similar laws turn American working conditions to shambles, or is it time to stand up and speak out for what is best on behalf of millions of struggling Americans. The choice is ultimately ours to make, and with time seemingly working against us, there is no room for delay.






Sources
1. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/what-are-right-to-work-laws
2. http://www.epi.org/publication/bp300/
3. http://www.thenation.com/article/158640/labors-last-stand