Workers’ Rights Series: Right-to-Work-For-Less, Part One

The single most significant right that workers possess in our country is the right to act together. When workers organize, they can present a solid front which helps to balance the disparity in power between workers and management. Management has the money, the control, and therefore the power:  when acting individually, workers are at the mercy of their employers.  However, when acting collectively, workers have a voice in their employment. There is strength in numbers, just as the adage goes: united we bargain, divided we beg.

Think-tanks like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), funded by billionaires and international corporations, are making a huge push to destroy collective action for American workers through Right-To-Work-For-Less Legislation. You’ve probably heard of ALEC in the news lately—several large corporations have cut ties to ALEC in the last few weeks (including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and YELP).  Billionaires and corporations pay ALEC to come up with ways to keep profits for the richest in this country and lower wages for Working America.

The corporate forces behind the push for Right-To-Work-For-Less Legislation talk in terms of protecting the rights of workers.  What a joke!  The reality is that Right-To-Work-For-Less is all about crushing the most precious right that workers possess – the right to act collectively.  The goal for Right-To-Work-For-Less groups is to never have to deal with workers as an organized force – to allow management to divide and then dominate workers so that the profits stay at the top. Right-To-Work-For-Less is bad for working people, it’s bad for families, and it’s bad for America.

Currently Pennsylvania is in the crosshairs of the political forces who want to crush Unionism in our country.  The battle is being fought on two fronts, one for public sector unionized employees and the other for Union members employed with non-governmental employers.  The goal is always the same, though.  Right-To-Work-For-Less Legislation would prevent Unions from collecting due and maintaining membership, and when the legislation goes through workers will lose the ability to improve, or even maintain, their wages and working conditions.  In effect, Right-To-Work-For-Less will take away the collective voice that working people have fought so hard to gain. Whenever you hear the debate about Right-To-Work-For-Less Legislation, it’s always couched in terms of ‘worker rights’ and protecting the public. Don’t be fooled by this clever advertising—ALEC is paid a lot of money to come up with ways to hurt working people and they do a damn good job. Voter ID laws, school privatization, stand-your-ground laws, attempts to destroy social security, and Right-To-Work-For-Less—all brought to you by ALEC.

Stay tuned for Part Two, the historical background of Unionism vs. Right-To-Work-For-Less.