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Right to WorkBy Wendy Day, Section News
(Promoted by Nick...)
Facing down the potential multi-billion dollar bailout of the Big Three, it seems this is the perfect time to have the discussion of making Michigan a Right to Work State.
Making Michigan a Right to Work State would not only help the Big Three, it would help our schools and the Union members, like me, who are forced to join a Union and pay dues for services I don't want or need.
When you bring up Right to Work, the reply is often, "That will never happen in my lifetime." My question is, "Why not?"
Idaho is a Right to Work state, as is Arizona. According to about.com
Arizona is a Right to Work state. Often there is confusion as to what that means. Many people believe it means that you can be fired from your job without explanation, and they are, therefore, reluctant to live and work in a Right to Work state. That is not the basis of the Right to Work concept.
A Right to Work law guarantees that no person can be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join or not to join, or to pay dues to a labor union. In other words, if you work in a Right to Work state, like Arizona, and the employees form a union, you may not be fired if you decide not to join.
Likewise, if you are a member of a union in a Right to Work state, and you decide to resign from the union, you may not be fired for that reason.
Here is how Arizona's Constitution, article XXV, reads:
Right to work or employment without membership in labor organization
No person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain or retain employment because of non-membership in a labor organization, nor shall the State or any subdivision thereof, or any corporation, individual or association of any kind enter into any agreement, written or oral, which excludes any person from employment or continuation of employment because of non-membership in a labor organization. (Addition approved election Nov. 5, 1946, eff. Nov. 25, 1946; amended November 30, 1982.)
The statutes relating to Right to Work in Arizona can be found in Arizona Revised Statutes Title 23-1301 through 1307. Michigan can become a Right to Work State too. If the Federal Government is going to use my tax dollars to bail out these companies, I think there should be some strings attached. Let's not give them a "Loan to nowhere". We can't just let these companies fail, or at least without devastating consequences. However, throwing good money after bad isn't a good idea either. The unionized monopoly education system in Michigan is financially broken. The auto makers can't possibly compete with their non-union competitors and are now asking for the taxpayers to foot the bill their business activities. One thing these two industries share is mandatory union membership. As a member of the MEA, I completely support the idea of changing Michigan to a Right to Work State. Yes, I can opt out of paying my dues, but only if I go before a panel of the MEA and prove me convictions are religious and not political. If I don't pass the test, they won't let me out of paying dues. If I due pass the test, I still have to pay and the money is given to a charity. There are thousands of union members in Michigan who are not happy with their dues being spent directly and indirectly on political activities for candidates and issues they don't support. Our lame-duck legislature should seriously look at using this time to fundamentally improve the business climate in Michigan by making Michigan a Right to Work State. We need bold leadership. We need fearless change. The time for Right to Work is here. I want the right to work, and the right to do so without being a member of a union.
Right to Work | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
Right to Work | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)
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