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Mark Warner Still Refuses to State His Position On Virginia's Right to Work Law
Major backing from Big Labor suggests Warner supports forced unionism
FOR RELEASE: November 1, 2001
SPRINGFIELD, Va. - On behalf of its nearly 50,000 Virginia members, the Springfield-based National Right to Work Committee® is calling on Mark Warner to come clean on whether or not he opposes forcing workers to pay dues to a union as a condition of employment.
In a letter mailed to it's Virginia members last week, Reed Larson, president of the 2.2 million-member grassroots organization, reported the results of the Committee's 2001 Candidate Survey.
As reported in Mr. Larson's letter, Mark Warner has so far refused to return his Candidate Survey and tell Virginians where he stands on compulsory unionism.
"Does he favor forced unionism?" asked Reed Larson. "Or does he stand with a majority of Virginians who support Right to Work?"
"Of course, it may not be surprising that Mark Warner has so far refused to return his Right to Work Survey," continues Mr. Larson.
"Mark Warner has received virtually every Big Labor endorsement in the state and has accepted over $100,000 in direct campaign cash and thousands more in soft money."
In addition to direct campaign cash, union bosses from the AFL-CIO and other international unions have contributed over $500,000 to Victory 2001, the state Democrat fund primarily used for Mark Warner's campaign.
The National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR) estimates that independent expenditures will be 10 times the amount taken in from direct campaign contributions.
For example, the Washington D.C. chapter of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) has paid for thousands of signs throughout Virginia.
"Given this enormous level of union support, a reasonable person can only assume that Mark Warner is planning on doing whatever the union bosses tell him to as Governor of Virginia," said John Tate, vice president and spokesman for the National Right to Work Committee®.
"Why else would he snub his nose at the people of Virginia and refuse to tell them where he stands on this important issue?"
It is no secret that Big Labor stands to gain financially with a governor in Richmond who will reverse Gov. Jim Gilmore's stand against Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for the Wilson Bridge. Project Labor Agreements are contracts that require all bidders on a construction project to adhere to costly and unproductive union work rules.
"Mark Warner is in a tough spot," said Mr. Tate. "Either he comes out in favor of Big Labor and tax-hiking Project Labor Agreements and angers the majority of Virginians, or he agrees with the people and the money from Big Labor stops flowing to his campaign."
"It seems Big Labor's only shot at the Wilson Bridge PLA plum is if Mark Warner is the next Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia."
The National Right to Work Committee® has publicized the results of its 2001 Candidate Survey to thousands of Virginians in two statewide mailings.
Former Attorney General Mark Earley has returned his survey with 100% opposition to forced unionism.
For more information on Mark Warner's support for forced unionism, or to schedule an interview with a Committee spokesman, please contact John Tate or Barry Kelley at (703) 321-9820 or (800) 325-7892.