Ohio unions stand tall as Right to Work threatens to expand to new states

Following an election season that saw Republicans pull off significant victories around the country, the national conversation on Right to Work is again heating up. While Ohio labor unions have created a position of strength, many other battleground states are threatening to fall to the controversial agenda.

Wisconsin, New Mexico and West Virginia have recently reported as considering Right to Work initiatives as many labor supporters are concerned about a potential adoption of the hotly contested issue.

“We don’t want to see any state fall to Right to Work,” said Pat Sink, Ohio’s International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18’s business manager. “As long as we all do what we can to expose these types of laws for what they are, we all have a great chance of keeping them at bay.”

As states like Wisconsin and Kentucky could face Right to Work battles at the county level, some states are undergoing radical shifts in legislature at the state level as well.

In West Virginia, Republicans have taken control of both houses of the state legislature for the first time in nearly a century and currently have enough votes to override a gubernatorial veto. With state Republicans frequently making Right to Work a party priority, the situation could be in the horizon.

Similarly, New Mexico’s legislature maintains they have enough support to pass any potential Right to Work legislation.

Luckily for Ohioans, Gov. John Kasich recently indicated he has no urge to pursue Right to Work at this time.

“While it’s comforting to know that the Gov. isn’t currently focused on Right to Work, we can’t afford to let our guard down,” said Sink. “With the movement seeming to kick back into gear, it’s important that we continue to fight as hard as we can to counteract it.”

Opponents of the recent Ohio Right to Work effort, including the “Workplace Freedom” bills, 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.

Whether Republicans utilize “Paycheck Protection,” “Workplace Freedom,” or other Right to Work tactics, opponents remain dedicated to ensuring the voting public knows the underlying nature behind the GOP’s divisive agenda.