General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNational "Right to Work" Law In The Works
There is no doubt that Donald Trumps presidency will be bad for the average worker. But one law would be worse than any other, and now that law is being formally proposed.
The Washington Examiner reports that tomorrow, Republican Congressmen Steve King and Joe Wilson will introduce national right to work legislation. A quick primer: Right to work laws (or free rider laws, as unions see them) allow workers in unionized workplaces to get the benefits of a union contract without having to pay union dues. Currently, just over half of the states in the countryincluding the entire Southhave statewide right to work laws, and union membership tends to be much lower in those states, because the ability of people to opt out of paying union dues just because they dont feel like it makes it harder to maintain strong unions, and can be financially crippling. (A union might, for example, negotiate a contract covering 500 workers, only to see half of them take the benefits of the contract and then not pay anything to the union. Its a tough way to survive.) Is it still possible to have unions in right to work stat? Yes.
A national right to work law would be the Holy Grail of right wing anti-labor forces who have despised unions for decades. There is no law that would be more detrimental to union membership. You need only look at the state-by-state union membership numbers to see how bad it could get. Its not going overboard to imagine national union numbers could fall by half in short order. Unions would still exist, but they would have to work immeasurably harder to maintain their financial stability and relationships with members. All legally enshrined stability would be gone. Such a law would make every workplace in America an uphill battle for organized labor. And since unionization is one of the only things that average workers today can do to improve their economic position, this would undoubtedly exacerbate economic inequality, increase the power of corporations over their employees, and make it harder for Americans to have any hope of a middle class lifestyle. So it will naturally be endorsed by Donald Trump, our blue collar billionaire prez who loves the common man!
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/national-right-to-work-law-would-be-the-union-apocaly-1791844314
Freethinker65
(10,048 posts)Destroying unions is key to keeping GOP in power.
BSdetect
(8,999 posts)Despite having largely killed union membership they will want to have workers bid for their jobs. Perhaps on a weekly basis. Lowest bid gets the work. Hourly rates. No security. No benefits.
Meanwhile robots will take 50% of jobs anyway.
And they voted for this.
HAB911
(8,912 posts)no benifits, no rights, no nothin'
jpljr77
(1,004 posts)...and this law passes and all those out of work MAGA victims start lining up for the "yuge waterfall of jobs" and they find out that the jobs pay $12.50/hr with exactly 10 days off per year and bare-bones benefits, I will be tempted to laugh. I won't, because I feel genuinely awful for them, but I will really, really want to laugh right in their faces.
mikeysnot
(4,757 posts)Oh wait... you did, and this is what happens when you do. Enjoy poverty! At least you can find comfort knowing that no Billionaire was left behind.
That is what I said during the bush admin.
dcbuckeye
(79 posts)They need 60 votes in the Senate.
bluecollar2
(3,622 posts)Omaha Steve
(99,708 posts)60 votes for cloture was almost killed by W early in his second term. Senators from both sides came up with a solution to keep it. That could very well be killed in D.C. with the current RW attitude!
Remember W said he had a mandate on TWO slim (both stolen) wins!
OS
mcar
(42,372 posts)Initech
(100,102 posts)They don't talk about rights for existing workers or increases in wages, national paid vacation laws, better health care, or anything that might be beneficial. Things that might, you know, actually rejuvenate the economy. Instead all they care about is profits for the wealthy elite. Which is really fucking disgusting. They'll gladly trample over workers' rights because they want their corporate masters to be happy, because that's who donates to campaigns. Because the little guy has no say anymore. Fuck them.
jodymarie aimee
(3,975 posts)If we got it, you will get it.
starshine00
(531 posts)There will be some interesting protests to this, probably by folks who have never protested in their life. Half my family works in union for the railroad and has a great middle class life and you can believe a lot of them voted for Trump too...I chuckle but you are talking about halving the standard of living for so many people.
HAB911
(8,912 posts)knows union wages floats all boats
Rex
(65,616 posts)Not a tear will I shed. Say goodbye to your union and your pension. Get use to the word 'turnover' and just accept the fact you voted to fuck yourselves over!