House Democrats Attack Right-to-Work Laws
California Congressman Brad Sherman (D) has introduced H.R. 6384, legislation that would prevent states from enacting and enforcing “Right-to-Work” laws. If passed, the bill would thwart over 60 years of worker protection, giving labor unions unheard-of power over the hiring process nationwide.
Since the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, states have been free to pass whatever laws they deemed necessary to shield workers from mandated union membership as a condition of employment. Today, 22 states have some form of this Right-to-Work legislation in place. The remaining 28 are known as “forced dues” states, wherein a union involved in wage negotiations may have workers fired upon refusal to pay union dues or “agency fees.”
Rep. Sherman’s goal is to strike Section 14 (b) of Taft-Hartley, the particular amendment which protects states’ Right-to-Work laws. As AWF has previously reported, last June Rep. Sherman circulated a memo spreading misinformation about Right-to-Work in an attempt to garner support among his congressional colleagues.
When similar legislation has been proposed in the past, it has met with a cold response. With the November elections fast approaching and their poll numbers dwindling, however, congressional Democrats are jumping behind a variety of causes to bolster their base. In this case, that consists of pandering to the AFL-CIO and other unions. The nation also stands in danger of having H.R. 6384 and other onerous bills rammed through congress in a lame duck session. It’s time for Rep. Sherman and his fellow Democrats to stop thinking about short term political benefits and started making a positive change for American workers. They should leave Right-to-Work laws intact.
The current cosponsors of H.R. 6384 are:
Rep Brady, Robert A.
Rep Conyers, John, Jr.
Rep Ellison, Keith
Rep Grijalva, Raul M.
Rep Hare, Phil
Rep Kaptur, Marcy
Rep Kildee, Dale E.
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J.
Rep Lewis, John
Rep Michaud, Michael H.
Rep Payne, Donald M.
Rep Rangel, Charles B.
Rep Ryan, Tim
Rep Sanchez, Linda T.
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D.
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete
Rep Sutton, Betty
Click here for the full text of H.R. 6384
Comments