Ohio labor supporters applaud Wisconsin Contractor’s Coalition stand against Right to Work

While recent news on the Right to Work front has centered on legislation entering new arenas, news out of Wisconsin today provides a boost of sorts for labor supporters who want to end 2014 on a high note.

The Wisconsin Contractor’s Coalition, a newly formed coalition consisting of more than 300 construction-related companies, announced its intention to work together to defeat a Right to Work proposal currently being discussed by state Republican lawmakers there.

The group maintains that any Right to Work legislation would jeopardize an already successful business model while simultaneously hurting workers across the state.

“It’s refreshing to see private businesses stand up for workers and reject Right to Work legislation,” said Pat Sink, Ohio’s International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18’s business manager. “This type of legislation will only serve to reduce the quality of life for workers in Wisconsin as well as reduce the quality of workers businesses can hire. It’s a lose-lose scenario.”

Wisconsin was in the news earlier in December when a new Right to Work advocacy group formed. Shortly after the group’s formation, Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald indicated he would introduce Right to Work legislation and that he hoped the Senate would fast track the bill.

With a potential slugfest looming in Wisconsin, Ohio labor supporters are thankful to be temporarily in the clear at home.

“Right to Work will always be a threat, but for the moment it’s nice to be ahead of it,” said Sink. “As long as we continue to push forward I believe we can keep this type of legislation from impacting Ohioans.”

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.