ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, October 8, 1996 TAG: 9610080050
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB GOODLATTE
IN HIS Sept. 19 commentary (``Are some laws written to deceive?'') concerning my National Right to Work bill, Richard Jeskey made a number of statements I consider to be not only incorrect, but blatantly misleading. His argument is simply off base.
Jeskey asks if the bill gives individuals any new rights to obtain employment. In fact, my bill restores old rights that were taken away from American workers decades ago.
Before the National Labor Relations Act was passed by Congress in 1935, every American had the freedom to choose whether to join a union when he or she got a job. But the NLRA stripped this freedom away from workers, and the law is still used by unions today to impose forced-dues contracts on employees.
Did you know that in 29 states an employee working under a forced-dues contract can't quit the union or stop paying dues? Regardless of union performance, these employees can't stop paying for membership they might not want without being fired.
My bill would give individuals the right to work at a job without being forced to join a union. That's why it's called the National Right to Work bill. It's not deceptive, but honest and fair, and it protects workers' rights. It's also highly popular among working folks in Virginia and across the country. Nationwide, polls show that 77 percent of Americans support the principle of right to work. This should come as no surprise - the freedom to choose union membership creates healthier unions that constantly seek to provide better services to members and prospective members.
Currently, 21 states have taken advantage of a provision in the NLRA that allows states to pass their own right-to-work laws. Virginia is one of those states. This provision is under frequent attack as unions attempt to repeal it and take away Virginians' right to work.
My bill takes us in the opposite direction and extends this freedom to all Americans. Why? Statistics have consistently proved that these 21 states are economically more healthy and have created more jobs and higher wages than the 29 forced-union states.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 1960 and 1993, right-to-work states created 2.7 million high-paying manufacturing jobs; forced-union states lost 1.4 million. Labor Department reports also prove that, adjusted for cost of living, average per capita personal income is almost $1,100 higher and average weekly manufacturing pay is $25.15 more a week in right-to-work states - 7.6 percent higher than in forced-union states.
Some folks claim that because Virginia is already a right-to-work state, we would lose a competitive advantage if the National Right to Work bill is passed to include the rest of the country. We must understand that in this increasingly global economy, our real competitors are Japan, Mexico and Europe - not Ohio, Iowa and Michigan. By making our nation as a whole more competitive, we also make Virginia more competitive.
In addition, the vast majority of Americans, including the vast majority of union members, object to using forced dues for political activities. Union bosses are currently spending as much as $100 million to buy back a Congress that they can control.
But, in the end, the issue is one of basic rights. Workers should be able to choose for themselves whether to join a union. Passage of the National Right to Work Act will protect that right.
Bob Goodlatte is congressman for Virginia's 6th District.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 linesby CNB