Committee Members Push For Right to Work Votes

Members of the U.S. House sponsoring H.R.2571 in February after hearing from freedom-loving constituents mobilized by the Committee include Reps. James Comer (Ky.), left, Bradley Byrne (Ala.), center, and Chip Roy (Texas). Credit: WKBO-TV (Bowling Green, Ky.), Credit: Byrne – Sinclair Broadcast Group, Credit: Spectrum News, file

Roll Calls Would Show Which Politicians ‘Are Just Union Lackeys’

Elections across the country that could potentially determine whether the recent rapid progress of the national Right to Work movement will continue, or be halted and perhaps even rolled back, are now just a few months away.

But many of the U.S. House members and senators who have announced they are seeking re-election this year and will, in all likelihood, be on the ballot come November, have yet to take a clear stand on a fundamental question regarding U.S. labor policy: Should federal law continue to authorize and promote the termination of millions of private-sector employees merely if they refuse to pay dues or fees to a union they may not want, and may never have asked for?

A ‘Win/Win Scenario For Compulsory-Unionism Foes Across America’

The National Right to Work Committee, of course, has long labored in each two-year election cycle to get as many congressional incumbents and challengers as possible on the record regarding federally imposed forced union dues and fees and other restrictions on the individual employee’s freedom of choice.

By supporting roll-call floor votes on H.R.2571 and S.525, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (left) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can hasten the day when no American is forced to bankroll a union, or be fired.  Credit:  Getty Images

This year, the Committee is striving again to get presidential, House and Senate candidates to take clear stances regarding key Right to Work issues through its federal Survey 2020 program.

Citizens mobilized by Survey 2020 can be expected, by the time November arrives, to have gotten at least one candidate on the general-election ballot in a majority of federal contests to pledge 100% support for the Right to Work.

However, practically speaking, there is only one way to put every member of Congress on the record in opposition to or in favor of compulsory unionism: holding roll-call House and Senate floor votes on H.R.2571/S.525, the National Right to Work Act.

Committee President Mark Mix commented: “The fact is, nearly 80% of Americans oppose forcing employees to pay union dues as a condition of getting or keeping a job.

“Having floor votes on the National Right to Work Act will be a call-to-arms for hundreds of thousands of grass-roots opponents of forced unionism in key contested states and House districts nationwide.

“Without roll-call votes on H.R.2571 and S.525, it will be far more difficult for concerned citizens to hold Big Labor’s puppet politicians in Congress accountable in November.

“Right to Work roll-call votes are a win/win scenario for compulsory-unionism foes across America.”

Forced Union Dues and Fees Would Be Stopped Without Adding a Word to Federal Law

“Politicians can either vote to free workers from forced-dues shackles, or face repercussions from freedom-loving constituents on Election Day if they don’t,” explained Mr. Mix.

“Either way, we win.”

The need for H.R.2571 and S.525, respectively introduced on Capitol Hill by Congressman Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), is easy to understand.

As a consequence of a handful of provisions in federal law, unless private-sector unionized workers are protected by a state Right to Work law, they may be forced on pain of firing to pay tribute to the union wielding monopoly-bargaining privileges in their workplace.

The Wilson-Paul legislation would put a stop to forced union dues and fees without adding a word to federal law.

Instead, H.R.2571 and S.525 would simply repeal the current provisions in federal labor law that permit and encourage the termination of employees for refusal to pay money to an unwanted union.

The Worker Knows Best Whether Monopoly Bargaining Is Personally ‘Beneficial’

Mr. Mix noted that compulsory union dues are especially outrageous when the worker from whom they are extracted has good reason to believe he or she would be better off, economically speaking, union-free.

“Forced union dues for harmful ‘representation’ are a common occur- rence,” he explained.

Mr. Mix cited the admission of Sheldon Leader, a law professor who is generally a strong supporter of Organized Labor, that under monopoly bargaining workers who don’t want a union are “often actually made worse off than they were before.”

The eminent late Pennsylvania law professor Clyde Summers strongly concurred, rejecting union-boss attempts to use monopoly bargaining as an excuse for forced union dues.

Under “exclusive” union representation, noted Dr. Summers:

“Full-timers may bargain to limit the jobs of part-timers, seniority provisions may disadvantage younger workers, and wage increases of the low skilled may be at the expense of the highly skilled.”

Mr. Mix concluded: “The worker is the best judge of whether he or she personally benefits from union monopoly bargaining. Unlike current federal labor law, H.R.2571 and S.525 recognize this important fact.”

Throughout 2019, Right to Work members and supporters mobilized by the Committee sent postcards, letters and emails to their politicians and signed petitions, urging them to cosponsor and seek roll-call votes on federal forced-dues repeal.

Forced-Dues Repeal Continues to Gain Support in Congress

Thanks primarily to Right to Work activists’ persistence and determination, the number of H.R.2571-S.525 sponsors had risen to 88 in the House and 24 in the Senate by the time this Newsletter edition went to press in early March.

Among the House members who recently became Right to Work cosponsors after hearing from their freedom-loving constituents are Congressmen James Comer (R-Ky.), Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), and Chip Roy (R-Texas).

“Forced unionism is unjust to employees and unpopular with the American people,” said Mr. Mix.

“Unfortunately,” continued Mr. Mix, “all the leading Democrat presidential candidates this year are thumbing their noses at public opinion and pledging publicly to eliminate all current state Right to Work laws if they capture the White House.

“The single most certain way to ensure this doesn’t happen is for both chambers of Congress to hold roll-call floor votes on the National Right to Work Act now, just a few months in advance of Election Day.

“Putting every member of Congress on the record in favor either of terminating or of perpetuating federally imposed forced union dues and fees will put a stake through the heart of Big Labor’s plot to seize total control over Washington, D.C.

“The fact is, even though it’s almost impossible to get them to say it publicly, the evidence is clear that union bosses themselves know public opposition to compulsory unionism is massive and intense.”

Mr. Mix recalled that, just a few years ago, union consultant Gordon Lafer, one of the most prominent anti-Right to Work activists in America, couldn’t help admitting: “Almost every union I know is in a panic about what to do about Right to Work.”

“Dr. Lafer ain’t seen nothing yet,” said Mr. Mix. “Big Labor’s real time to panic will be after floor votes on forced-dues repeal are held in Congress!” 


If you have questions about whether union officials are violating your rights, contact the Foundation for free help. To take action by supporting The National Right to Work Committee and fueling the fight against Forced Unionism, click here to donate now.


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