So-called “Right to Work” Legislation
· Backed heavily by out-of-state corporate interests, “Right to Work” legislation is designed to wipe out unions by bankrupting them and weakening their ability to bargain.
· Despite its clever name, “Right to Work” has nothing to do an individual’s ability to work. It’s about eliminating the voices of working people from the workplace and politics.
· “Right to Work” restricts the freedom of employers and workers to negotiate the agreement that is best for that workplace—a right which exists in most of America and most of the world. It substitutes the judgment of the government for that of the people doing the work.
· Being a traditionally industrial state with large Republican majorities in the Statehouse, Indiana is now the top target of these groups. If they are successful in passing “Right to Work” here, it will create a domino effect throughout the Midwest and the heart of the labor movement.
Negative impacts of “Right to Work”:
· Drive down wages for all workers: Union and non-union workers in states with these laws make an average of $5,538 less a year than those that live in states without the law.· Reduce Benefits for all workers: Employers in “RTW” states are less likely to offer benefits and workers are losing health insurance coverage 70 percent faster than those in other states.
· Drains Billions for Indiana’s fragile economy: With the reduction of wages and benefits, Indiana’s economy stands to lose an estimated $17.3 billion as fewer dollars are circulated through the economy by Hoosier workers.
· Hurts workplace safety: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the rate of workplace deaths is 50 percent higher in “RTW” states.
· Reduces the overall quality of life: In addition to the decreased buying power of those in “RTW” states, the infant mortality rate is 16 percent greater while the poverty rate for all people is 19 percent higher and is 26 percent higher for children.
· Does not create jobs: Despite what the opposition would have you believe, “RTW” laws have no positive impact on state’s economies. Indiana’s unemployment rate is currently 9.8%. North Carolina, a state with a comparable population and economic base that has “rtw” laws on the books has an unemployment rate of 9.7%.
· Does not prevent businesses from expanding: A recent survey of business executives found that out of 26 factors considered when locating a business, “RTW” laws ranked 24th.
Source: Indiana AFL-CIO
