The ‘Right-to-Work’ Lie Being Shamelessly Perpetrated by the Corporatist ‘Right’

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/the-lie-being-perpetrated-by-the-right-that-is-right-to-work/

A catchy name;  ’Right-to-Work’ law, it would seem implementing such a law would benefit workers. I mean, the state is saying that people living in it have the right to work, but it is legislation that actually undermines the worker. It prohibits agreements between labor unions and employers and denies collective bargaining rights. It denies the union’s ability to enter into agreements with employees to become members of the union as a condition of employment, and so it leaves employees without union representation and protection. Workers are left at the mercy of their corporate masters.

Right-to-work laws are actually union busting pieces of legislation passed under the guise of helping workers, enacted by Republican held legislatures, to help the corporate interests that sponsor them. And, these corporate interests are backed by organizations like: [The]National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, Inc., whose logo says it all: “Defending American workers from the abuses of compulsory unionism since 1968.” Then there are the infamous Koch brothers. The Kochs deny any involvement in the recent move by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s to balance the budget on the backs of labor, denying unions that represent public workers collective bargaining rights. However, what Koch does acknowledge on their website KochFacts.com, is that “Koch has always and will continue to support market-based policies that advance economic freedom, and we support candidates who do the same. This was the basis for Koch’s support of Gov. Walker’s candidacy.” I gather for Koch, supporting workers is not a market-based policy as workers are, apparently, not part of the free market. Sounds like code for support for Walker’s corporate sponsored union busting policies.

There is ALEC, (American Legislative Exchange Council), a Koch sponsored 501(c)3 tool, whose advisory council consists of members from big Phrma, AT&T, Energy, Exxon, UPS, to name a few, and the likes of Reagan era economist Arthur B. Laffer, and whose board is largely made up of Republican legislators. ALEC is at the forefront of right-to-work policy writing legislation on behalf of many states, which as a matter of public policy they deny (see Center for Media and Democracy).  Additionally, if you type ‘right-to-work’ in the search window on ALEC’s website, the first item that comes up is a May 23, 2013 report co-written by Laffer and Stephen Moore, of the WSJ —a report on ‘Rich States, Poor States’.  It is not surprising that the top 10 rich states are all right-to-work; Red states, and the bottom 10 poor states are Blue, which do not have right-to-work laws on their books. It is a disingenuous report because it ignores the states’ GDP. The aggregate GDP in 2010 of the top 10 states on Laffer’s list, is a little over $2.2 trillion.  Just California and New York, which are among the bottom 10– 47 & 49 on the list, have a combined GDP of nearly $3.1 trillion.

In fairness to Laffer et al, their study is based upon 15 economic policies that they claim determine the economic strength of a state. Not surprisingly, 10 of the 15 are in some way related to taxation. And of course, one of the 15 is determined by whether or not the state has a right-to-work statute—I gather the market value of the goods and services that a state produces is not a significant policy consideration, in determining the economic prowess of that state.

New Hampshire, the ‘live free or die’ state, has a political alliance called; “Live Free or Die Alliance” (NH’s Virtual Town Hall).  As you may recall, in 2011, New Hampshire’s mostly Republican legislature passed HB 474 prohibiting collective bargaining agreements in an attempt to add it to the list of right-to-work states. Fortunately, it was vetoed by then Gov John Lynch, and withstood an attempt to override the veto by the legislature. Lynch has been succeeded by now Gov Maggie Hassan, also a Democrat, so it is not likely to be an issue again for a while. What is disconcerting is that for the Right in general, and New Hampshire in particular, ‘live free or die’ means that corporate interests are prior to the individual’s right to protection, as an employee.  We, of course, learned last election cycle that corporations are people too.  Who is it that is living free and willing to die for the loss of freedom?  The Live Free Alliance thanks its corporate sponsors on the top of its website—Credit Suisse, Bank of America, First Republic Bank, and Waste Management just to name a few.

Yesterday, in a piece on Plunderbund.com GOP Legislators told to wait on ‘Right-to-Work until after John Kasich is reelected governor.  “We heard rumors that Ohio’s GOP legislators were told to hold off on pushing so-called ‘right-to-work’ legislation until after the 2014 election to keep Kasich from having to take a stance on the issue.”  In a recent interview with the Delaware Gazette, State Rep Andrew Brenner admits the rumors were true.  Brenner said, “I’m co-sponsor on three bills, and I’m told I’m on a wanted poster in one of the union halls. There’s right-to-work for private, public and a resolution to put it on the ballot. I don’t think any of them are going anywhere. We were told not to even bring them up, because next year is an election year for the governor. This may come up if he’s re-elected. If he’s not re-elected, it won’t come up because we won’t get it through Ed FitzGerald.”

It is apparent that Kasich, who presents himself as a moderate, has not given up on his anti-worker agenda. He and his party are simply ‘lying in wait’ for the outcome of the next election. If, as the policy hawks on the Right claim, right-to-work policy is good for the worker, and is, as Laffer and Moore argue, among the primary reasons for growth in the top 10 states on their list—Why is Kasich running from the policy and lying in wait? My suggestion is that while workers and corporations are both people, folks that work have the advantage–they know better and they vote.