Right to Work Has Been Right All Along

Right to Work Has Been Right All Along

Big Labor Spent $1.14 Billion on Politics, Lobbying in 2009-2010 (Source: September 2011 NRTWC Newsletter) A surprising source has confirmed, unimpeachably, that Big Labor spends more than a billion dollars on politics and lobbying per federal campaign cycle. National Right to Work Committee members have for years known this to be true. But poor-mouthing union officials and supposedly nonpartisan monitors of political spending like the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) continue even today to foster a false impression that Big Labor spends less on electioneering and lobbying than Big Business. Unfortunately for the union bosses and their apologists, the very LM-2 forms that private-sector (and some government-sector) unions with annual revenues exceeding $250,000 are required to file with the U.S. Labor Department show unambiguously they control by far the most massive political machine in America. Reported Union PAC Spending Only Tip of the Iceberg In 2003, then-President George W. Bush's Labor Department revised these disclosure forms with the avowed goal of helping the millions of private-sector workers who are forced to pay union dues or fees as a job condition get a better idea of where there conscripted money was going. This was a worthwhile initiative. Current labor laws, as interpreted by federal courts, unjustly authorize the firing of employees for refusal to pay for unwanted union monopoly bargaining, unless the employees are protected by a state Right to Work law.

Obama Bailout Saved Union Power Not Union Jobs

Paul Roderick, writing in Forbes, takes a fascinating look at the Obama bailout of the auto companies concluding that the bailout was needed, not to protect jobs but to protect the union and their power structure: Contrary to popular belief, bankruptcy does not mean companies close their doors and send employees home. This is the false message President Barack Obama tried to sell on his victory tour of Detroit. If General Motors had gone through a normal bankruptcy without taxpayer bailouts, there would still be GM jobs--maybe even more than there are now. We do not know because that was the road not taken. We do know, however, what happened to the airlines that went through bankruptcy. Their planes kept flying, and pilots, mechanics and flight attendants reported to work, even if there were fewer of them. Over the past decade, no industry has had worse breaks than the airlines. They took a huge hit from 9/11. They have been buffeted by fuel prices. The TSA's intrusive airport screening angered passengers. Furthermore, the airline industry is cyclical; it suffers disproportionately from economic downturns. Compared to the airlines, GM has had a cake walk. Indeed, four major airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after 9/11 (US Air and United in 2002; Northwest and Delta in 2005). Each company was restructured by a bankruptcy court according to the rule of law. In each case, creditors took haircuts and employees lost jobs and agreed to concessions in wages and work conditions. Each airline emerged from bankruptcy and continued to operate as a going concern.
NH Rep.: Demonstrable population shift to Right To Work States

NH Rep.: Demonstrable population shift to Right To Work States

Time for population in New Hampshire to retain its youth with jobs, rather than watching graduates leave the state. But, employees' rights to freedom of association should be sufficient.  NH Rep. Patrick Abrami explains why he supports Right To Work and believes it is best for the Granite State: On Wednesday, Oct. 12, there most likely will be the override vote of Gov. John Lynch's veto of the Right-to-Work bill. My vote for the override will be driven by my belief that every person should be allowed to establish a relationship with their employer. This in no way should impede an individual's right to join and support a union. The reality is that in the 21st century, most employers are enlightened and realize they are competing for talent in the marketplace. Therefore, most employers treat their employees well, just as I and my fellow partners do with our 30 employees at my company. This is one of the reasons why only 10 percent of workers are unionized today. Unions are a good check against the handful of not-so-enlightened employers. Thus, unions are a check on employers. To me, Right to Work is a check on unions. If a union is enlightened, it will do great service for its members without jeopardizing the solvency of the companies from which their members draw a salary. If they don't, then the members should have the right not to abide by a union's dictates and be given the ability to form a relationship directly with their employers. If that argument is not sufficient, consider the following and draw your own conclusions: Congressional seats gained Right-to-Work states total: 11 Non-Right-to-Work states total: 1