National Right to Work Committee®
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We at the National Right to Work Committee are fighting at many levels to protect America's working men and women's right to decide for themselves whether or not a union deserves their financial support.
Whether it be in the state and federal legislatures, the courts, or hearing rooms at the FEC or the NLRB, we fight to ensure that workers join unions because they want to – not out of fear or federal mandate.
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Heather Wilson Backs Forced-Dues Repeal
Right to Work Bill Would Bar Firing Workers For Refusal to Pay Union Dues; Congressional Leaders Urged to Schedule Votes on 'Much Needed Reform'
FOR RELEASE: June 7, 2002
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a new sign of the growing support for Right to Work in the U.S. Congress, New Mexico Congresswoman Heather Wilson (R) has joined 119 of her fellow legislators in backing a bill that would repeal the federal labor-law provisions that authorize the firing of employees for refusal to pay dues to a union.
Paying heed to the many Right to Work supporters among their constituents, on June 6 Rep. Wilson and two other congressmen signed on to H.R. 1109, the National Right to Work Act, bringing the total sponsorship to 120. The bill was reintroduced March 20, 2001 by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.). A companion Senate Bill (S. 873), sponsored by North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms (R), was introduced May 14, 2001.
Under current federal labor law, millions of employees can be fired unless they continue paying dues or "fees" to union officials. H.R. 1109 would bar such firings.
"We are hoping for congressional floor votes on this much needed reform," said Reed Larson, president of the Springfield, Va.-based National Right to Work Committee®.
"President Bush and the GOP leaders of both chambers of Congress are all on record in favor of forced-dues repeal," he explained.
Mr. Larson urged congressional leaders to schedule roll-call votes on H.R. 1109 as soon as possible.
"Nearly eight out of 10 Americans support ending the federally imposed forced-dues system, and returning to workers a right that never should have been taken away in the first place," he noted.
A recent opinion survey by Political/Media Research Inc. (Mason-Dixon), for example, showed that 77% of Americans support employees' Right to Work whether or not they choose to affiliate with a union.
"Compulsory unionism robs American workers of their freedom, corrupts our political system, and saps our economy of productivity and jobs," added Mr. Larson.
According to the U.S. Labor Department, between 1969 and 1999, non-farm employment in the 21 states that now have Right to Work laws grew by 54%, compared to just 37% in the 29 states that don't protect employees from federally-imposed forced union dues.
Meanwhile, real per capita personal income grew by 82% in Right to Work states, compared to 67% in forced-dues states.
"Now that they have a pro-Right to Work President in the White House, congressional leaders should seize this opportunity to hold roll-call votes on legislation that would restore a basic freedom to American workers," concluded Mr. Larson.
For more information about the National Right to Work Act, contact John Tate at (703) 321-9820 x2203.