Public Unions, Wisconsin and the Right to Work

Throughout history, unions have served to elevate the living standards of the American working man. In times of limited government, the only recourse workers had was to band together and fight for what they thought was right. Conditions are no longer such that workers are alone. Government has grown to a point where its regulations are strangling businesses and unions have become overzealous to a point where companies are either closing down or moving to more friendly and receptive areas of the country.

If it weren’t for government bailouts, which are continuing today, the mighty US auto industry, would no longer be the force it once was on the world stage. Thanks to the unions, a new non-unionized Boeing plant is being built in Charleston, SC to produce its new 787 Dreamliner, which Everett, Washington so desperately wanted. For decades the northwest has been the hub of aircraft manufacturing; why now the change? The production of the Dreamliner is two years behind schedule due, in part, to crippling strikes by the union machinists. Boeing is willing to spend a $Billion to build a plant and train new workers to remove themselves from the high cost and crippling strikes caused by unions. Right to work laws have benefited the South.

Twenty-two states, including South Carolina, have "right to work" laws "which prohibit agreements between trade unions and employers making membership or payment of union dues or "fees" a condition of employment". Union membership in these states have plummeted. This tells you that when government doesn’t dictate, unions have a difficult time justifying themselves to the worker.

Wisconsin is not a "right to work" state, and is suffering from aggressive public labor unions, with high salaries, benefits and suffocating work rules. FDR once wrote, “all Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management”

If you are a Republican, and a government union employee, you see much of your dues going to Democrat candidates who do not share your beliefs. These same Democrats vote to increase the power of the unions.

The Wisconsin unions, with the support of Obama's campaign organization, not being able to compete with reason, have resorted to intimidation, death threats and thuggery to advance their cause. Democrat legislators fled the state, refusing to honor their commitment to the voters to represent them.

Gov. Scott Walker and his Republican legislature, having campaigned and won overwhelmingly, would have been negligent if they had not heeded the will of the voters and reined in the power and costs of the public unions.