Unions prepare for Right to Work amendment in Virginia

With Election Day right around the corner, labor unions in Virginia are preparing voters to fight against Right to Work advocates’ most significant push yet.

Already one of 26 states with Right to Work laws in effect, labor supporters in the state are rallying against a proposed amendment that would make the controversial legislation part of Virginia’s constitution.

Union leaders around the country are uniting behind their efforts.

“What this means is that labor supporters have to fight harder than ever to make sure it doesn’t become permanent for workers,” says Richard Dalton, business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18. “Enacting this amendment will only harm workers in the state.”

Right to Work laws have been implemented in the state of Virginia since 1947 but if the proposed amendment passes, it will bring the long-running Right to Work battle to a halt. Once it is written in the constitution the amendment can only be altered through another constitutional amendment.

Supporters of the amendment argue that no one should be forced to pay dues as a condition of employment. They want it written in Virginia’s constitution in order to prevent future lawmakers from altering or undoing the state’s current law.

Opponents of Right to Work measures claim that the laws lead to lower wages, decreased benefits and inferior working conditions, issues that unions have fought hard to improve for workers.

“It may seem attractive on the surface, but Right to Work only damages workers in the end,” says Dalton.

Right to Work laws allow individuals in certain industries to operate without paying the necessary union dues. Business aligned proponents of such laws claim that they decrease unemployment while opponents assert that the laws drive wages down and force hard working families into poverty.

For more information on Right to Work in Ohio, visit: http://protectohiosmiddleclass.org