Production Sound & Video

Spring 2017

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21 by Eva Rismanforoush & Timothy O'Malley YOUNG WORKERS POLITICAL ACTION REPORT Earlier this year, a bill was introduced to Congress called The National Right to Work Act. If signed into law, it will attempt to bankrupt American labor unions on a federal level. Currently, right-to-work legislation is only enforce- able on a state-by-state basis. On February 1, 2017, Republican Representative Steve King from Iowa's 4th District introduced H.R.785 to the 115th United States Congress. H.R.785—the National Right-to- Work Act is a bill designed to repeal the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. NLRA, more commonly known as the Wagner Act, was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It established the National Labor Relations Board, an institution designed to protect the American workforce. The Wagner Act was part of Roosevelt's second New Deal and sought to remedy the socioeconomic dispar- ity following the Great Depression. SO WHAT IS RIGHT-TO-WORK? It is an umbrella term for anti-labor legislation. Over the past century, right-to-work laws have manifested in many forms; most prominently as an addendum to the Taft-Hart- ley Act of 1947. A bill that passed despite a veto by Presi- dent Truman, who denounced it "a dangerous intrusion to free speech" and it "would confl ict with principles of democratic society." We live in an era where labor unions are facing a global decline, yet in recent years, the I.A.T.S.E. has man- aged to increase its membership against the odds. This is in part due to political activism programs. The Young Workers Committee (YWC) is one of those institutions. Created by President Matthew D. Loeb, it aims to welcome new members and to get workers under the age of 35 politically involved. Most committees have been active since 2012 and the numbers are growing in each Local. Every two years, YWC members from all over the United States and Canada have a chance to meet at the biennial Young Workers Conference, an op- portunity for receiving educational training, sharing experiences and networking. As part of our Local 695 Young Workers political action agenda, we will provide you with quarterly reports on current legislative trends that directly affect the I.A.T.S.E. and Local 695. Parts of the Taft-Hartley Act restrict striking rights of la- bor unions and their negotiating power. They also prohibit unions from requiring a worker to contribute fi nancially, even when the worker is covered by their collective bar- gaining agreement. In a right-to-work state, the union provides all legal funds and protections to negotiate a fair contract. Any employee may receive those benefi ts, but without the obligation of joining and paying dues. According to contemporary right-wing think tanks, such as the Legal Defense Foundation and the Heritage Foun- dation, "Every American worker should be able to pursue employment without the obligation of joining a union." While this notion may sound like a noble cause—perhaps due to the fact that the word "Right" is in the title—it is much rather a semantic disguise for a bill solely purposed to bankrupt organizations such as the IA. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? American labor unions are organized associations of work- ers formed to protect and further workers' rights and in- terests. Collectively, workers have a much greater chance on improving workplace safety, earn a living wage, and col- lect health & pension hours. The collective buying power of its members is also used to negotiate consumer benefi t programs for working families. right-to-work , rt, ta 'werk/ adjectiveUS adjective: right-to-work relating to or promoting a worker's right not to be required to join a labor union. "Kansas is a right-to-work state."

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