Operating Engineer - Winter 2015

Right-to-Work (for less)
Labor Battles Erupt Again in State Capitals
Fights underway over Right-to-Work and prevailaing wage laws
EMBOLDENED BY PASSAGE of socalled
Right-to-Work laws in Michigan
and Indiana, the throttling of collective
bargaining rights in Wisconsin, and
the cutting of pension benefits in New
Jersey over the past few years, state
lawmakers once again are targeting
unionized workers in multiple states.
Newly elected Illinois Gov. Bruce
Rauner issued an executive order on
February 9, allowing public sector
workers to refuse payment of “fair
share” union dues or their equivalent.
Rauner has also called for the creation
of local “right-to-work zones” and for a
prohibition against political donations
from unions with state contracts.
At the same time, Rauner is
attempting to head off an expected
legal challenge from organized labor
by filing his own lawsuit against more
than a dozen unions, including the
IUOE, claiming that fair share dues are
unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, Right-to-Work bills
have gained traction in Missouri, New
Mexico and West Virginia that would
prohibit public and/or private sector
unions from collecting mandatory
dues or their equivalent in workplaces
that they’ve organized. The bills have
already cleared committee hurdles in
Missouri and New Mexico.
In Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott
Walker had dodged the question for
months, the right-wing Republican
controlled legislature is now rushing to
pass Right-to-Work after the governor
vowed he would sign it into law there.
And in Kentucky, right-to-work
ordinances have been passed in five
counties this year, though their legality
is being challenged in court.
Further attacks aimed directly at
building trades unions have cropped
up with bills designed to repeal state
prevailing wage laws in Indiana,
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Michigan, Missouri, Nevada and West
Virginia.
This renewed targeting of the
unionized workforce is primarily
the result of November’s Republican
sweep, in which the GOP seized the
governorships of Massachusetts,
Maryland, Arkansas and Illinois, all
previously Democratic, while losing
only Pennsylvania.
The Republicans also acquired
control of 11 previously-Democratic
legislative chambers, including the
West Virginia House, the New York
Senate and the Nevada Assembly and
Senate. According to the National
Conference of State Legislatures,
Republicans haven’t controlled this
many state legislative seats since 1920.
The International is working closely
with Local affiliates to track and push
back on these and other emerging
threats. Mobilization campaigns
are underway in
several states and
members are urged
to contact their
state legislators
directly to voice
their opposition
to these attacks
on collective
bargaining rights
and prevailing
wages. Members in
these battleground
states are receiving
information on
how they can help
and should also
check in with their
local Business
Managers to find
out more.
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INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER