Why Union? So you don't have the right to work for less

Right now Michigan workers are fighting the railroading through their legislature of laws that are attempting to kill unions in that state. These so called “Right to Work” (RTW) laws have purposely been given this misleading name to make people believe that unions were somehow keeping individuals from working.  Unions are legally obligated to represent every worker in a bargaining unit, regardless of membership.  RTW laws allow some workers to gain from the salary, benefits  and working conditions negotiated by a union without sharing in the costs of those negotiations. That’s why they should really be called “Right to be a Free Rider Laws.” RTW laws make it illegal for unions to collect fees from non-members, while still requiring that they get all the benefits from the collective bargaining that their dues paying co-workers support.

Proponents of such laws say that this will help workers do better. This is not the case. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics eight of the twelve states with the highest unemployment rates have RTW laws. Studies have shown that wages in states that have RTW laws in place are 3.2% lower than those who do not. Workers in RTW states are also less likely to receive employer sponsored health insurance and pensions.  Workers in RTW states experience a rate of workplace deaths that is 52.9 percent higher than in non-RTW states. 

Harold Meyerson's piece in The Washington Post highlights the ever widening gap we see with increasing corporate profits and declining wages for America's workforce. Meyerson notes:

"Defenders of right-to-work laws argue that they improve a state’s economy by creating more jobs. But an exhaustive study by economist Lonnie K. Stevans of Hofstra University found that states that have enacted such laws reported no increase in business start-ups or rates of employment."

This effort, being funded by right-wing billionaires like the Koch brothers and Dick Devos, is yet another attack on America’s working class and highlights why unions are so important to America's working class.  President Obama visited Michigan and had this to say about what is happening:

 “And by the way, what we shouldn't do. I've just got to say this, what we shouldn't be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions. These so-called right to work laws, they don't have to do with economics, they have everything to do with politics. What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.You only have to look to Michigan, where workers were instrumental in reviving the auto industry, to see how unions have helped build not just a stronger middle class but a stronger America. [...]We don't want a race to the bottom. We want a race to the top. America's not going to compete based on low skill, low wage, no workers’ rights. That's not our competitive advantage. There's always going to be some other country that can treat its workers worse.”

Another troubling part to this is the violation of basic democratic principals that have occurred. This is happening in a lame-duck session of Michigan's legislature and basic procedures have been tossed out the window:

 
Needless to say, unions like like the NEA, AFT, SEIU, the Teamsters and others are fighting to preserve workers rights, restore the democratic process and stop this from happening. Unions believe you have the right to a fair wage, fair benefits and good working conditions. We don't believe that you have a right to work for less.