Saqib Ali, a former Democratic member of the House of Delegates, says a bill in Annapolis is a union-busting tactic. Brandon Rippeon, a Republican candidate for Maryland's 6th congressional district, argues "right to work" gives workers more rights.
Ali's point:
As the drama in Madison unfolds, the whole nation is witness to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's attempts to destroy public sector unions. While there have been copycat attempts by governors in Indiana and Ohio, few people are aware that there is a similar (albeit lesser) move in Maryland to achieve some of the same goals. State Senator Allan Kittleman (R-Howard County) has proposed legislation to make Maryland a "Right To Work" state. Are these union-busting bills a good idea? For Maryland and for the entire nation, the answer is an unequivocal no.
Let's call a spade a spade: Union-busting is an attack on the middle class plain and simple. Throughout American history unions have been an engine to grow the middle class, protect worker safety and give teachers, nurses and janitors a modicum of dignity in the workplace. Without unions these workers could be subject to whims of their employers who often value their bottom lines over everything else. Who isn't grateful for two-day weekends and lunch breaks? These are hard-won concessions achieved by organized labor.
Before public schools were unionized if a female teacher (and they were all female at the time) got pregnant, she would be summarily fired. Do we really want to go back to those bad old days? Do we really want unfettered corporate power over our societies so the rich can get even richer while the rest of us toil away in misery? I don't.
Union-busters claim to be concerned about government deficits. But in reality, the current economic downturn is just an excuse to implement their long-held desires. Walker's "Budget Repair Bill" doesn't just reduce employee benefits or increase their contributions — which unions had agreed to. It ends collective bargaining for most government workers. This lays bare his real agenda. Instead of saving the state money, he's just neutering worker rights.
So what's the real reason for anti-labor animus? Cold, hard, politics of course. Republicans know that unionized workers are the most dedicated and effective electoral supporters of the Democratic Party. They donate money, they man the polls, they get out the vote. And they do it better than anyone else. So instead of trying to match their zeal, Republicans aim to cripple their organizations. The next elections in Wisconsin, Maryland and other states might show just how far they have over-reached.
Rippeon's counterpoint:
Now that my colleague has offered the hyperbolic "sky is falling" position of the hysterical-left, let me present an accurate and methodical look at the facts surrounding "Right to Work" and "collective bargaining."
A "Right to Work" state is a state in which the individual is empowered with the freedom of choice as to whether or not to join a work place labor union. That's right, "Right to Work" means the individual worker may volunteer to participate in the union and therefore volunteer to pay union dues if the individual believes in the union's cause and mission statement. A state which is "Non-Right to Work" means if a union is organized in the work place the individual is forced to join, and forced to pay dues, and forced to contribute to the labor union's political agenda. I find it hard to comprehend how America has an all volunteer military who serve and fight to protect our national defense and general welfare, but leftist progressive liberals believe in forced conscription and submission to work place labor unions. I thought choice was something progressive liberals fought for and believed in?
"Collective bargaining" is a negotiating technique in which an employer meets with representatives of the workplace union in order to come to a labor contract agreement which applies to the entire work force as a whole. In this case also, the rights of the individual are swept aside. Imagine being the top individual in your particular department or division, surpassing all quotas and expectations, only to be held back from earning higher compensation and pay because your promotion is based on the performance of others.
"Collective bargaining" is an economic millstone around the neck of responsible and hardworking employees, placed there by union leaders who wish nothing more than to further their own agendas.
So what does all this mean in the real world and how is it applicable to Maryland's future? The best way to answer this is to look at the economic growth and job creation in "Right to Work" versus "Non-Right to Work" states.
Mercedes Benz and Hyundai have both build manufacturing plants in Alabama. Kia Motors has built a new facility in Georgia. The Nissan Altima or Maxima you are driving was built in Tennessee. Toyota has invested over $100 million in a state-of-the-art facility in Texas to manufacture trucks. And BMW now builds its widely popular X3, X5, and X6 sport utility vehicles in South Carolina. The workers at these facilities, all located in "Right to Work" states, are all non-union and earn salaries, wages and benefits at levels equal to and in most cases higher than their union counterparts.
There is one main and very crucial difference to consider between automotive workers from "Right to Work" and "Non-Right to Work" states. The automotive union workers from "Non-Right to Work" states such as Ohio, Michigan, Delaware and Maryland are no longer employed because their factories are closed.
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