Ohio unions keep watchful eye on Missouri as Right to Work gains steam in ‘Show Me’ state

Labor supporters speak out as controversial legislation makes its way through the capitol
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(PR NewsChannel) / March 24, 2014 / COLUMBUS, Ohio 

Workplace Freedom OhioEven as Ohio fights its own battle, with Right to Work legislation on its way through the Missouri State Capitol, unions here are keeping a close watch on Missouri.

Unions in Missouri are in fight mode. They are ramping up efforts to make sure their state doesn’t fall victim to the same controversial movement that became law in Michigan.

According to “ConnectedMissouri.com,” hundreds of union workers gathered at the Missouri Laborers’ Conference on the Westminster College campus to make sure their voices were heard.

Still, as labor supporters in Missouri fight to ensure their state doesn’t become the next Right to Work victim, unions in nearby Ohio have an interest in what is happening because it could foreshadow what’s to come.

 “Right to Work is bad, it’s as simple as that,” said Pat Sink, Ohio’s IUOE Local 18 business manager. “Not only will it kill the middle class but it will also lead to the death of the unions and leave workers without protection.”

Echoing Sink’s sentiment, many labor supporters in Missouri have spoken out against the controversial legislation.

 “If I’m not forced to pay at least a service fee for a valued service already being done in my behalf, there’s going to be a lot of folks that say, ‘I’m not going to pay, I’d love to pay for it but I can’t’ or ‘I’m just not going to pay for it,’ said Michael Frame, Workforce Development and Safety Committee member, in a “KBIA” report. “And after a while that will become a bigger and bigger issue and eventually there will be no money for representing you and your co-workers.”

After fighting against the legislation in his home state of Ohio, Sink was eager to give advice to any Right to Work opponents still fighting.

 “Education and persistence are the keys,” said Sink. “If you do everything you can to show voters and lawmakers the dangers of Right to Work, you have a shot at beating it.”

Opponents of the recent Ohio Right to Work efforts, sometimes called “Workplace Freedom” in Ohio, contend that the initiative’s true purpose is to kill unions and worker protections, ultimately leading to a weaker middle class. By stripping workers of their rights and freedoms, business owners would be free to lower worker pay, reduce worker benefits and ignore worker rights.

In their unrelenting war on workers, whether Republicans embrace “Paycheck Protection,” “Workplace Freedom,” or other Right to Work tactics, opponents in Ohio say they are determined to ensure the public knows the underlying nature behind the GOP’s divisive agenda.

For more information about Right to Work, please visit www.protectohiosmiddleclass.org

Direct link:  https://prnewschannel.com/2014/03/24/ohio-union-keep-watchful-eye-on-missouri-as-right-to-work-gains-steam-in-show-me-state/

SOURCE:  Keep Ohio's Heritage


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