Paraphrased, “FROM THE OFFICERS”, The Electrical Worker, January 2013

Passage of right-to work legislation in Michigan marks a huge step backward for working families – both in the Midwest and across the United States. Contrary to the claims of right-to-work boosters, there is no evidence that weakening unions will make a jurisdiction more competitive to create jobs. What it will do is “Walmartize” the economy, creating a haven from low-wage jobs that do little to lift the average worker out of poverty.

Right-to-work laws drive down wages for all workers by an average of $1500 a year, whether they are union or not. And 28% more workers go without health and welfare benefit plans. This type of policy increases the power of the very wealthy, silences the voices of working families and promotes an economic race to the bottom – a race where the only winners will be Wall Street and outsourcing CEOs.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of the merit contractors are now getting “attention” from the Conservative Party in Manitoba, who are supportive of the remedies sought. The long and the short of the Merit Claim seeks to strike out certain sections of the Manitoba Labour Code that deal with legality of the closed shop and compulsory union dues deductions, striking down project labour agreements and generally getting the Manitoba Courts to hold that the freedom of association includes a freedom to disassociate. In other words being “forced” to pay union dues is coercive and compels the person who must pay union dues to ideologically conform to the views of the union. The judicial decision sought by Merit would create “Right to Work” without a Right to Work law being passed. There is no doubt that what is sought by Merit in Manitoba will impact every project labour agreement and collective agreement in the country.

So you say “That’s the United States – it won’t happen here in Canada!”

With Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party push for “Union transparency”, through Bill C377,* their agenda to weaken/eliminate Unions is crystal clear. (Union Members have always had the right to know how their Union Dues are being spent. Why should management have the right to know how much money is in a Local Union’s bank account?) The gauntlet has been dropped and right-to-work for less is nipping at our heels. If we are silent before government in the United States and Canada, manufacturing will continue to grow without benefiting workers and the infrastructure projects that will support the future competitiveness of our nations will sit un-built.

*(see concerns re: Bill C-377)