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North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole Cosponsors Forced-Dues Repeal Bill
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North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole Cosponsors Forced-Dues Repeal Bill
Right to Work Bill Would Bar Firing Workers For Refusal to Pay Union Dues; Congressional Leaders Urged to Join Campaign for 'Much Needed Reform'
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Standing up for workers' freedom of choice, on April 3, 2006, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole (R) signed on as a cosponsor to forced-dues repeal legislation in the U. S. Senate known as the National Right to Work Act.
The bill, introduced in the Senate, on February 14, 2005, as S. 370, would not add a single word to federal labor law. It would simply repeal the coercive federal labor-law provisions that authorize the firing of employees for refusal to pay dues to a union.
Paying heed to the overwhelming majority of Right to Work supporters among their constituents, 21 senators to date have joined lead sponsor Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott (R) as cosponsors in support of S. 370. A House version of the bill (H.R. 500) was introduced by South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (R-Dist.2) on February 1, 2005. H.R. 500 currently has 111 sponsors.
Under current federal labor law, millions of employees can be fired unless they pay dues or "fees" to union officials. S. 370/H.R. 500 would bar such firings.
"We are hoping for congressional floor votes on this much needed reform," said Mark Mix, President of the 2.2 million member, Springfield, Va.-based National Right to Work Committee.
"President Bush and leaders of both chambers of Congress are all on record in favor of forced-dues repeal," Mr. Mix explained. "I urge congressional leaders to schedule roll-call votes on S. 370/H.R. 500 as soon as possible.
A 2004 national opinion survey by Maryland-based pollster Del Ali of Research 2000 showed that 79% 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. Mix.
According to the U.S. Labor Department, between 1994 and 2004, non-farm employment in the 21 states that had Right to Work laws during that period grew by 21.1%, compared to just 12.4% in the 28 states that don't protect employees from federally-imposed forced-union dues. And during that same time period (the latest for which statistics are available), private sector employment increased 70% more in Right to Work states than it did in forced-dues states.
Between 1995 and 2005, real personal income grew by 37.1% in Right to Work states, compared to 26.7% in forced-dues states. That’s 38.9% more real personal income growth in Right to Work states than in forced-dues states when cost of living is taken into account.
Over just the past couple of months, the federal labor-law provisions that authorize the firing of roughly 7.3 million American employees should they refuse to pay union dues or fees as a job condition have gotten even harder to defend.
At the end of October 2005, the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released a report showing that between 2000 and 2004 the combined real output of states with Right to Work laws barring all forced union dues grew by 3.0% a year. That’s roughly half again as fast as the combined real annual output growth of the states that do not protect employees from federally-imposed forced dues.
“The 22 Right to Work states are now America’s engine of economic recovery,” Mr. Mix continued. “But a national law is needed to protect employees and businesses in all 50 states from forced unionism and its excesses.
For more information about the National Right to Work Act, contact Linda Staulcup at (800) 325-7892.