AWF Supports National Right-to-Work Act
Rep. Steve King introduced the National Right-to-Work Act (H.R. 4107 in the 111th Congress). If passed, this legislation would give all American workers the freedom to choose whether or not to be represented by a union. Christopher Prandoni, Executive Director of the Alliance for Worker Freedom, has written a letter urging congressmen to support Rep. King's initiative:
"Since the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, states have been free to pass laws that prohibit union membership as a condition of employment. Today, 22 states have some form of Right-to-Work legislation in place. The remaining 28 are known as “forced dues” states, wherein a union may have workers fired if they refuse to pay dues. In these states, workers seeking employment in a unionized workplace are required to pay a portion of their paychecks (usually called “agency fees”) to cover the cost of collective bargaining and contract administration.
Unbeknownst to most workers, they technically cannot be required to join a union, just forced to support it financially. Substantively, however, there is little distinction between supporting a union and being a card carrying member; workers are still covered by the union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement. In many states, their dues and agency fees are used for political contributions by unions without the knowledge or consent of the worker. Over 93% of union contributions in the last election went to fund Democratic campaigns despite many thousands of their members supporting republicans.
A National Right-to-Work Act would restore freedom of association to America’s workers by striking certain provisions in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Railway Labor Act (RLA). In addition to liberating the nation’s workforce, Rep. King’s legislation will help restore our ailing economy: states with Right-to-Work laws have consistently achieved increased economic growth, greater GDPs, more jobs, and higher personal incomes for their citizens. "
Click here for AWF's full letter.
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