Right to Work President to Governor Lynch: What Part of “Live Free” Don’t You Understand?

Lynch vetoes bill that would guarantee that no worker could be forced to join or pay dues to a union to get or keep a job

Washington, D.C. (May 11, 2011) – In response to New Hampshire Governor John Lynch’s veto of the New Hampshire Right to Work Bill (H.B. 474), National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix released the following statement:

“In a state that prides itself for its independence and love for liberty, Governor Lynch’s veto of the New Hampshire Right to Work Bill is unconscionable.

“Governor Lynch has turned his back to the tens of thousands of New Hampshire workers who are forced to pay tribute to union bosses just to get or keep their jobs, as well as the nearly 80 percent of New Hampshire citizens who support the Right to Work principle.

“Forcing workers to pay for the privilege to provide for their families is wrong, and while a Right to Work law in New Hampshire would guarantee individual worker freedom, it would also boost the state’s economy.

“Over the last decade, the average Right to Work state outpaces New Hampshire in real personal income growth and private-sector job creation. According to PHH Fantus, America’s longtime leading relocation firm, half of all companies considering a relocation or expansion automatically rule out states like New Hampshire that don’t have Right to Work laws.

“Forced unionism also hurts young workers the most, with millions of young adults and their children ‘voting with their feet’ by moving to Right to Work states. In fact, New Hampshire’s population of 25-34 year-olds shrunk by over 15 percent from 1999 to 2009, while the young adult populations in Right to Work states collectively increased 20 percent.

“I urge the New Hampshire General Court to override Governor Lynch’s veto and protect the freedom of every worker in New Hampshire.”

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The National Right to Work Committee, established in 1955, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens’ organization dedicated to the principle that all Americans must have the right to join a union if they choose to, but none should ever be forced to affiliate with a union in order to get or keep a job. It’s web address is nrtwc.org.