December 10, 2012 by David K. Sutton
Obama: Anti-Union Laws Are “The Right To Work For Less Money”
Speaking in Detroit earlier today, President Obama criticized Michigan Republicans attempt to strip union workers of their rights by passing a so-called “right to work” law, which is another way of saying anti-union or union-busting law.
…And by the way, what we shouldn’t do. I’ve just got to say this, what we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions. These so-called right to work laws, they don’t have to do with economics, they have everything to do with politics. What they’re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money. – President Obama
By displaying your disdain for working Americans with your support of right to work laws, I’m guessing you are a Republican, and you’re probably not a union worker. But just because you do not belong to a union, should that translate into discontent over the compensation or working conditions of unionized workers? I think maybe you should focus a lot less on others and instead focus on your own situation. If you think unionized workers are receiving better compensation, why is that a problem? — Sounds like you have your own problem you need to work on, and you need to stop trying to fuck over others. I’ve never been a member of a union, but that doesn’t stop me from supporting unions as well as attempts to unionize, like recent efforts by Walmart employees to improve their compensation.
It’s screwed up when the same middle-class conservatives, who vehemently defend the wealthy and their tax cuts, show such malice towards working class citizens who happen to belong to a union. And what does that union membership afford them? The ability to collectively bargain against rich and powerful companies and the wealthy people who own them. If you are a middle-class Republican who supports anti-union “right to work” laws, my question is — Why? — My next question is — Are you aware that you are parroting exactly what they (wealthy business owners like the Koch brothers) want you to say?
If you support right to work laws, you are helping to crush unions, the very entities that are responsible for the workplace perks that we now take for granted. You know, things like the 40-hour work week. Oh, and weekends. Not every worker need belong to a union to benefit from the workplace improvements unions bring to the table. But as union influence shrinks in the American workforce, what effect do you think that will have on compensation for all American workers? Just ask those non-union Walmart employees who make an average of under $9 per hour working for the biggest employer in the nation. Compare that to the unionized employees at General Motors a half-century ago who made an average of $50 per hour (in today’s dollars) working for the biggest employer (at that time). — Tell me again why you support union busting.
