Friday, February 4, 2011

THE ISSUE CROSSES THE AISLE: Missouri Republicans Issue Resolution Opposing Right-to-Work

(http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2011/02/04/missouri-republicans-oppose-right-to-work/)

The Jefferson County Republican Central Committee issued a resolution strongly opposed to making Missouri a Right-to-Work state.

According to the Labor Tribune:

The committee unanimously approved a resolution Dec. 20 condemning a right-to-work proposal being pushed by Missouri Senate President Pro-Tem Rob Mayer (R-Dexter).

The right-to-work proposal “is not the best way for our state to go,” Committee Chairman Janet Engelbach told the Labor Tribune.

Councilman Charles Groeteke (R-District 4), who was elected last November, sent a letter to Senate Preisdent Ron Mayer (R-Dexter) and then spurred the JCRCC to pass the resolution.

Interestingly, earlier this year a group of business leaders held a “Fix the Six” meeting to discuss the top priorities for the business lobby in the state. Much to the chagrin of Senate President Mayer, Right-to-Work laws were nowhere to be discussed.

Missouri’s Democratic legislators oppose the wage-reducing, standard-depleting law across the board: “Right-to-Work is a Road to Failure (Columbia Tribune)”

Below, the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee’s resolution:

“WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee recognizes the past and continuing contributions of organized labor in promoting and overseeing safe working conditions for the members of this Nation’s workforce; and

“WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee recognizes that organized labor provides a quality work force in the trades for our state; and

“WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee recognizes that our economy is dependent and functions best when both organized labor and business work together cooperatively in partnerships; and

“WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee understands that there is currently pending in the Missouri State Legislature, proposed legislation, barring employers from requiring their employees to refrain from becoming members of labor organizations; and

“WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee believes that passage of this type of legislation would undermine those contributions, efforts, and influences of organized labor, as enumerated above, and jeopardize the benefits to our economy of a productive partnership between labor and business in the state of Missouri;

“Therefore be it RESOLVED, this 20th day of December 2010, that the Jefferson County Republican Central Committee, through its below undersigned members, opposes this and any other form of legislation promoting ‘right-to-work’ employment in the State of Missouri.”

Ohio……Kasich and the House GOP are pulling out all of the stops.

Big GOP majorities could mean more push for right-to-work

Limiting collective bargaining for public workers will certainly be a prime issue for Republican state leaders this year, but some also are interested in going further, looking to turn Ohio into a right-to-work state.

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New Hampshire

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The House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee yesterday held a public hearing on whether to become a right-to-work state, in which public employees cannot be compelled to join a union or pay union dues. The same arguments have been presented to the same committee year after year as far back as the 1970s, according to the state's labor commissioner.

Bad for workers
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Bill would reduce benefits for retired NH workers

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Wisconsin

Will Wisconsin's emerging manufacturing jobs survive under Walker?

When President Obama toured the state last week, he visited two companies in Manitowoc to promote Wisconsin's high-tech, clean-energy economy.

Commerce Department partial privatization approved


The state Department of Commerce would be partly privatized, under a proposal passed Wednesday by the Legislature.

Indiana

Right-to-work group says support lukewarm
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
But the National Right to Work Committee insists he deserves it. “It now appears that in the Indiana General Assembly, Big Labor is no longer the only foe ...

Michigan

Right to Work could get traction in Michigan
UpNorthLive.com
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Mackinac Center for Public Policy
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Governor recognizes data on employee compensation doesn't say it all

Four days after Gov. Rick Snyder convened an economic summit to explain to business leaders (and anyone else who cared to watch from the virtual bleacher seats) precisely how dire our state's fiscal outlook is, I'm still scratching my head over Snyder's decision to highlight the gap between public- and private-sector worker compensation

Minnesota

Push for new nuclear plants gains steam in Legislature

The state Senate dealt a blow to Minnesota's ban on nuclear power plants Wednesday, easily passing a repeal of the 17-year-old moratorium during its first major vote of the legislative session.

Montana – possible win for union members?

Montana bill to cap state-employee pay has no support at hearing

A Helena state senator's bill to ask voters whether to cap state employee compensation got no support at its first hearing Thursday evening, as workers and their union representatives assailed it as an all-around bad idea.