WOULD YOU TELL A DROWNING PERSON THAT THEY HAVE THE “ RIGHT TO SWIM ”?
Secretary-Treasurer ’ s Message
WOULD YOU TELL A DROWNING PERSON THAT THEY HAVE THE “ RIGHT TO SWIM ”?
There are over 31,000 members in our Union . Obviously , we are not all alike .
• Many work or have worked in retail . Some have not ( I have not -- I come out of the packinghouse division ).
• Some of our members voted for Trump . Many did not ( I did not ).
• Many are Christian . Some are not ( I am not . I am a Buddhist ).
• And all of that is ok . We are a diverse Union .
But what is common amongst all of us is that we want a better life , respect and dignity on the job , and a secure , working future .
And what unites us , what must unite us , is joining together to achieve that . As a Union , we are really nothing more than “ working people standing together ”. That is how we get a better contract . That is how we improve worker protections , how we influence laws and achieve improved workplace protections .
However , the latest effort by those opposed to Unions , those opposed to workplace democracy , is troubling . Anti-union extremists are proposing a national “ Right To Work ( for less )” law ( RTW ). This is a dangerous and divisive bill that would interfere with the rights of Union members , like you and me , to negotiate with the Company as we see fit . Currently , we negotiate with the employers for a commitment that all new hires will become members of the Union within a specified time . That is a “ union shop ”. This bill would violate our right to freedom of contract .
It infringes on our freedom to bargain . Union shops are not mandatory . They are bargained for . But to prohibit Union ( shops ) is to , let ’ s be clear , is to tilt the balance away from working people and rig the system against us . It cripples us . It makes us weaker . How ?
RTW enables the employer to hire folks who won ’ t join the Union . Two things then happen :
1 . We are weaker – fewer workers will “ stand together ” for a better workplace . The fewer people that stand together , the weaker the contract .
Those anti-union workers , who will not stand with us , will gain the same benefits , pay and protections as everyone else , without paying their fair share
3 Issue 1 THE VOICE Spring 2017