Sunday, August 18, 2013

A Short History of Labor and Right-To-Work

"Right to work" laws, existing in 24 states, mean that employees do not have to join a labor union.  I support RTW laws, as the voluntary nature of the employee-union relationship requires that the union actually represent the employee or risk losing that employee's dues money.

I detest so-called "fair share" laws, like those in California, that require a union to represent me and hence require me to pay a union as a condition of employment.  One might think there's a "freedom of association" issue there, but under current law there isn't.  It's despicable.

Here's an extremely short exposition on labor and right-to-work history.

Aside:  California teachers, if CTA/CFT doesn't represent your beliefs, check out the web site of the California Teachers Empowerment Network(Full disclosure:  I'm on the Board of Directors.)

1 comment:

allen (in Michigan) said...

Nice piece but it doesn't tell me anything I couldn't have inferred from context even without my direct, personal experience of unions.

Unions are born of violence and coercion. Tart them up as unions and their supporters will they've never strayed far from their beginnings. And proving there is justice, the union movement's being undone by its antithesis, free trade. Even government unions, not so long ago hailed as the saviors of the unions movement, are being undone by free trade since it turns out, much to the shock of union supporters, that even the voters can only be fooled and abused so long before turning on their tormentors.

It is intensely gratifying to live to see the dying days of the union movement and we'll be well rid of it. No nation of laws should confer the privilege to gain by violence or threat of violence on any group and unions have never had anything to offer outside that threat.