Rand Paul 2016 presidential announcement: Ohio labor groups call out candidate for ties to Right to Work movement

Ohio union supporters denounce senator’s support of Right to Work
(PR NewsChannel) / April 13, 2015 / COLUMBUS, Ohio 
Credit: Politico

Credit: Politico

With the announcement that Rand Paul (R-KY) has entered the 2016 presidential race, labor supporters around the country are voicing concerns about the candidate’s ties to the Right to Work movement.

In Ohio, a state that’s had its own battles with the controversial anti-union legislation, many union leaders say Rand Paul for President would be detrimental to unions and workers.

“In his time in Washington, Sen. Paul has continued to champion Right to Work legislation on a national level,” said Pat Sink, Ohio’s International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18’s business manager. “There’s no reason to believe that he won’t continue his anti-union crusade if elected president.”

Considered by many pundits to be the candidate who poses the highest threat to labor unions, Paul has introduced Right to Work legislation three times since 2011.

In addition to pushing legislation in Congress, Paul has assisted the National Right to Work Committee, the country’s leading anti-union group, with fundraising emails and petitions while a number of the candidate’s closest advisors have had significant involvement with the group.

With a political history steeped in Right to Work, it’s no surprise that labor groups have come out against the candidate.

For Ohio’s IUOE Local 18, a union that covers a small segment of Kentucky workers, ensuring the future of the nation’s middle class should supersede any anti-union principles held by candidates.

“Right to Work has been consistently shown to be damaging to the middle class,” said Sink. “That’s why it’s so important to take a candidate’s stance on the issue to heart when choosing who to vote for as our next president. The wrong choice could have lasting repercussions on a national level.”

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.

 

Direct link:  https://prnewschannel.com/2015/04/13/rand-paul-2016-presidential-announcement-ohio-labor-groups-call-out-candidate-for-ties-to-right-to-work-movement/

SOURCE:  Keep Ohio's Heritage


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