After the Sixth Court of Appeals ruled that Kentucky’s Right to Work ordinances on a county-by-county basis do not break federal law, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has expressed his intent to follow the Bluegrass State’s lead.
Rauner, who has argued for Right to Work since his election, seeks to bypass the mostly Democratic state legislature by enacting the controversial legislation using the tactics utilized in Kentucky. In fact, the Right to Work advocates in the state have already begun the process.
Lincolnshire, a village in Illinois, passed an ordinance last year stopping private-sector companies in their community from forcing their workers to pay union dues. Only two months after the ordinance was put in place, four unions in Lincolnshire filed a lawsuit.
With Gov. Rauner tipping his hand, union supporters across the nation are speaking up in an effort to help keep Illinois free from Right to Work.
“It’s important that labor leaders do whatever it takes to stop this legislation,” says Richard Dalton, business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18 in Ohio. “Even at a local level, these types of ordinances have significant impact on the citizens of Illinois.”
Kentucky began enacting Right to Work legislation at a county level two years ago. Unions in the state responded by filing a lawsuit to stop the legislation; however, a November 18th ruling ensured that local governments could decide for themselves whether to enact Right to Work laws in their community.
“Of course it’s disappointing but that doesn’t mean we can stop standing up for worker rights,” says Dalton. “This type of legislation will irreparably damage the middle class and set worker rights back decades. It’s up to everyone to do their part in making sure it doesn’t gain any more ground.”
Right to Work laws allow employees in certain industries to work 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.
By enacting these laws, business owners can lower wages, reduce benefits and ignore the rights of every day workers.
For more information on Right to Work in Ohio, visit: http://protectohiosmiddleclass.org
SOURCE: Keep Ohio's Heritage
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