Letter: Arguments for right-to-work fail the ‘common sense test’

To the editor,

Columnist Jim Waters gave himself away in his recent column supporting “right-to-work” when he called union leaders “labor fat cats.” Everybody in a union – from a shop steward to an international president — is elected by the membership. Members vote on everything of importance such as contracts, dues rates, how to spend dues, training, mid contract changes, salary of officers/stewards, and more.

In short, unions are among the most democratic institutions in the country.

Mr. Waters says “no one coerces me into buying a house, car, boat or membership.” Well, in this country no one is coerced into working where he or she doesn’t want to work. This is not North Korea. So, if you don’t want to work at a business with a union security agreement, then by all means go work in a non-union business.

Of course, companies with unions are the most desirable places to work and Mr. Waters knows that. He is a skillful propagandist for wealthy business and industry owners who want to get rid of unions so they can make more money for themselves and their stockholders. It’s as simple as that.

Mr. Waters knows that on average union workers enjoy better pay and benefits than non-union workers do. Too, unionized workplaces are safer and and more pleasant places to work than non-union businesses. Take coal mining, for example. Deaths and injuries from accidents are much fewer in union mines than in non-union mines. The same thing is true for all industry.

Mr. Waters knows that union security agreements aren’t coercion either. They are freely agreed to by the union and management.

Mr. Waters claims to be a big supporter of keeping government out of the “free market.” Right to work laws insert government into the market by forbidding unions and employers to sign off on union security agreements.

I suspect Mr. Waters believes in the democratic principle of majority rule. I’d bet the farm not every political candidate he voted for was victorious. But I’d also bet the farm that he pays his federal and state taxes anyway to support the federal and Kentucky governments .

It’s the same principle with a union security agreement. A union comes into a workplace only after a majority of workers votes the union in. So what’s wrong with everybody being expected to pay to support the union? Again, if you don’t want to support the union, get a job where their isn’t a union — but expect to earn a lot less money, enjoy a lot fewer benefits, and never have a voice.

There is no evidence that Kentucky is losing out on jobs because it is not a right-to-work state, according to the University of Kentucky business school. Right-to-work is a low priority when it comes to where a business decides to operate.

Right-to-work laws are designed to weaken large unions, destroy small unions and discourage workers from joining unions because they allow non-union workers at a unionized workplace to enjoy all of the benefits of union membership without paying union dues or a service fee to the union.

Wouldn’t these states that have been right-to-work for 50, 60, and 70 years have all the jobs? Who’s willing to spend millions of their fortune to give me or others a right to work? The right to work argument fails the common sense test!

Chris Ormes
President, USW Local 1241

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