Obama calls Right To Work a "race to the bottom"

[BlandFood]

Heil Bobo, what kind of baboon could possibly defend their fuhrer on this one? Someone needs to tell the bastard he's supposed to be a president and NOT a king.

[SemiAuto]

The marketplace isn't a Democracy

With the liberal idea of a free market it would be. You'd vote with your money.

[SemiAuto]

At the risk of being accused of making a semantic distinction, this is not about being forced to join a union. Nobody is "forced" to join a union or pay actual dues. What is sometimes forced upon workers is paying union fees, not dues. They are usually called "service fees" or non-member fees, etc. The fees don't make them members of the union and are intended to pay for the collective bargaining (not political action).

I have no problem with right to work laws either - provided it doesn't simply provide the opportunity for deadbeats to demand that union members pay the freight for the benefits of non-members. Non-members should receive no benefits that are paid for by others.

I have no problems with unions negotiating for benefits exclusive to their membership. If you want the union benefits then join the union. If you don't then you're on your own.

[OldBay]

I have no problems with unions negotiating for benefits exclusive to their membership. If you want the union benefits then join the union. If you don't then you're on your own.

We are in agreement. If a union can demonstrate that its members enjoy better benefits, then more will join. Unfortunately, many state laws require that negotiated benefits apply to everyone - which removes any reason to join the union or for management to negotiate in good faith since the union membership is very low when there is no more benefit than not joining. Its a catch-22.

[flyboy56]

You mean like GWB? Who nobody on the right ever dared called a socialist.

The middle class is about opportunity. Education creates that. Strong labor creates that. So gutting federal spending, and blaming teacher's Unions for your own profligate spending issues, all while defending tax breaks for millionaires and corporations, flies in the face of strengthening the middle class.

Is Bush still the president? I was talking about Obama's campaign talking points about growing the middle class. How exactly is he doing that? Because stimulus and QE start from the top.

[flyboy56]

We are in agreement. If a union can demonstrate that its members enjoy better benefits, then more will join. Unfortunately, many state laws require that negotiated benefits apply to everyone - which removes any reason to join the union or for management to negotiate in good faith since the union membership is very low when there is no more benefit than not joining. Its a catch-22.

A right to work state would make unions more responsive to their members if they want to stay.

[OldBay]

A right to work state would make unions more responsive to their members if they want to stay.

Possibly - depending on state laws. The devil is always in the details.