Monday, September 1, 2014

Public Service Announcement: "Right to Work" Means "Right to Get Paid Less"

The biggest mistake organized labor in this country every made was allowing corporations and anti-worker assholes to label laws that turned workers into slaves "Right-to-Work."

Because now even people who desperately need and want a higher minimum wage and better job benefits support "Right-to-Work" because they think such laws give more rights to workers.

It doesn't.  A "Right-to-Work" law takes away the few tattered rights workers still have.

But the motherfucking liars are winning.

Mike Wynn at the Courier:

A majority of Kentucky voters want the federal government to raise the minimum wage, but say workers should be allowed to hold jobs at unionized businesses without joining the union or paying its dues.

Meanwhile, voters are split on whether Democrats or Republicans are best suited to control the Kentucky House of Representatives, which is divided on both issues — largely along party lines.

The latest Bluegrass Poll gauged the opinions of 647 registered voters on all three issues ahead of the Labor Day weekend.

On the question of pay, it found that 55 percent of those surveyed favor proposals for the federal government to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour. Thirty-seven percent oppose the change, while 8 percent are not sure.

"Even if they increase it, you can't live on it," said Lydia Bond, one respondent who supported a higher wage.
 Bond knows what the problem is: slave wages.  She knows what the solution is: a federal law requiring a living wage. But she like millions of others thinks  a "Right-to-Work" law will increase wages, when in fact it will do the opposite.

Wages were never higher, adjusted for inflation, than when more than a third of American workers belonged to unions.

Unions demand and force higher wages and better benefits.  Unions and only unions do that. Without unions, benefits vanish and wages plummet and jobs go overseas.

"Right-to-work" laws tie the hands of unions and allows corporations to abuse workers without consequence.

It's not "Right-to-work" goddammit.  It's "Right to be Turned Into a Slave."

Pass it on.

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