“Right-to-Work” legislation: Reaction by state lawmakers, others on vote

"Today, the Assembly sent a clear message to Wisconsin that we value worker freedom and are dedicated to improving our state’s business climate.There is overwhelming evidence to support the numerous economic benefits of Right to Work. There is no doubt that this legislation will prove to have a significant, positive impact here in Wisconsin.”

“The question has been asked that if Walker considers Wisconsin workers his enemies, then who does he considers his friends?  Wisconsin Democrats have long known that Walker and his allies’ friends are extreme corporate special interests that unashamedly prevent our neighbors and families from getting ahead and achieving the American Dream.

“This could not be any more clear given the unnecessary, rushed push for extreme legislation that robs Wisconsin workers of our rights and freedoms in the workplace, drives down family wages, takes funding away from high-demand worker training programs, and makes workplaces less safe. And this grand feat of government interference in private relationships between businesses and workers is only the latest attack on neighbors and families across our state.

“After all, Walker’s disastrous budget proposal will decimate our state’s main economic engine by cutting more than $300 million from the UW System; it continues the governor’s legacy of destruction to our public schools by again slashing their funding while allowing an unlimited transfer of taxpayer dollars to private schools; and it undermines Wisconsin’s proud lifesaving and taxpayer-saving programs for our seniors and most vulnerable citizens.

“While Wisconsin Republican leadership ashamedly attempts to blame hard-working Wisconsinites for the hole Gov. Walker and his allies dug our state into, I believe in a different path for Wisconsin.  This path stands up for real workplace freedom and economic opportunity in our state by investing in the working class and growing our economy from the bottom up.  It guarantees that our children and future generations can achieve their fullest potential by fully funding our local public schools and making sure our children have the support needed to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. And it ensures that our elders, parents, and children have the security of quality health care coverage.

“Unlike the despicable tactics Wisconsin Republicans are using to rig the rules for corporate special interests and prevent our neighbors and families from getting ahead and achieving the American Dream, these are the ideas that will move Wisconsin forward and give people in our community a chance at forging a stable life in the middle class.”

“Governor Walker and Republican leadership wasted no time taking aim at their favorite target: Wisconsin’s working-class families and small businesses.

“In two weeks’ time the Legislative Republicans have rushed through an extreme piece of legislation which robs Wisconsin workers of their basic rights and workplace freedoms, drives down wages, makes workplaces less safe, criminalizes small business owners, and ends decades of established labor peace in our state.

“This is another example of Scott Walker sacrificing Wisconsin’s middle class on the altar of his presidential ambitions.

“At a time when our state is still lagging behind in job creation and wage growth we should be investing in workers instead of continuing to rig the game for corporate special interests. There is no demand from working-class communities like ours in Racine or elsewhere across the state to implement this law, but Republicans have made it crystal clear that their interest lies in tilting the table in favor of those at the very top at the expense of our neighbors and families who only seek to achieve the American Dream.”

“There are several factors employers consider when looking to locate production facilities.  Right to Work is among those important factors, which include tax policy, skilled labor, transportation, utilities, and a stable economy.  Twenty-four states across the country have an edge over Wisconsin because they are Right to Work.   For Wisconsin to keep pace and compete for those jobs, passage of Right to Work is critical,” stated Representative Hutton.  “Right to Work states consistently outperform non-Right to Work states in economic and job growth.”

“With the passage of Senate Bill 44, Wisconsin will become the 25th Right to Work state, joining neighboring Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan.  Additional states across the country, including Ohio and Missouri, have also signaled that they plan to introduce Right to Work legislation in their respective states.”

“There are so many reasons why ‘Right to Work’ is wrong for Wisconsin. It will drive down wages and hurt our middle class and small businesses. It will interfere with private-sector business practices. It will put our state’s great training programs at risk.

“It is clear that it will not have any positive economic impact on our state. In fact, according to Marquette University economics professor Chowdhury this bill will take $3.89 billion a year out of Wisconsin’s economy.

“At a time when Wisconsin families need higher wages and more economic opportunity, our workers instead will suffer at the hands of this cynical political maneuver that puts right-wing special interests and Gov. Walker’s political ambitions above the people and businesses of Wisconsin.

“This is a very destructive bill for the middle class and small business that is an example of right-wing extremism on steroids.

“With the passage of the Right to Work, we are giving Wisconsin workers the right to choose. During more than 20 hours of debate, we heard numerous scary tales from those who opposed this bill on worker freedom. These were not just scary tales, but fairy tales. We know this because nearly half of the states in our great country are right to work states, and they have not experienced the type of Armageddon that opponents have predicted."

"Under this bill, workers will retain the right to join and contribute to a union and gain the freedom not to; if you like your union you can keep your union.”

“There’s not a single member of the state Assembly that ran for election in 2014 promising lower wages, fewer resources for our public schools, less health care or more dangerous workplaces. But that’s just what those who voted for the right to work law are doing, and that’s why right to work is wrong for Wisconsin.

“Gov. Walker and his Republican legislative cronies want us to believe that the same gang that’s left us last in the Midwest on jobs and lagging most of the nation on jobs and wages has the answer this time.

“Instead of focusing on the priorities of the people of Wisconsin they have chosen to listen to the special interest lobbyists. Instead of serving the people of Wisconsin they’ve titled the system even further in favor of CEOs only concerned with their own profits.

“Gov. Walker and the lapdog Republican legislature can recite the talking points of the right wing propaganda machine underwritten by Gov. Walker’s campaign co-chair until they’re blue in the face, but the fact remains, right to work is wrong for Wisconsin.”

"We congratulate the State Assembly on taking the next step forward for the rights of working class Wisconsinites everywhere. We’re excited to see this long-overdue legislation move forward, and are even more excited for Governor Walker to sign the bill into law,” AFP Wisconsin State Director David Fladeboe said.

“No longer will the Badger State’s employees be compelled to join a labor union and or surrender union dues as a condition of employment. We thank our thousands of in-state activists for their hard work in moving the bill forward. AFP Wisconsin is excited to see this common sense legislation move the state forward and finally bring relief for workers throughout our great state."

“Passing Right to Work is reckless. The GOP is more concerned with advancing the rights of out-of-state special interests who write their campaign checks than protecting the rights and protecting the wages of hard-working Wisconsinites.”

“Right to work will not create jobs and will not help one family put food on the table. Right to Work weakens the ability of workers to come together, stick together and have each other’s backs through their union in the workplace. If this law was any good for Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers wouldn't have rushed it through in a sneak attack, skirting democracy and transparency every step of the way.”

“Over the past 24 hours on the Assembly floor, my fellow Democrats and I gave voice to the thousands of Wisconsin workers and hundreds of business owners opposed to the so-called ‘right to work’ legislation.  We were proud to speak for those who had been silenced, but found that our words fell on deaf ears.

“Holding to Governor Scott Walker’s ‘divide and conquer’ directive, this morning, Republicans rubberstamped a bill that will mean smaller paychecks for workers, an economic slowdown that will threaten small businesses, and new and serious challenges for companies that employ union members, including companies in my own district.

“The folks I serve sent me a message, loud and clear: ‘right to work’ is wrong for Wisconsin.  In the months and years ahead, I’m afraid everyone will see how true that is.”

“Today’s vote gives Wisconsin employees the freedom to decide whether to join a union and pay dues. In no way does this bill diminish the strength of private sector unions. Right-to-work laws have increased union membership in states such as Indiana. SB 44 simply promotes competition within the marketplace, allowing unions to argue their case to prospective members and demonstrate value to their current ones.

“I believe a right-to-work law is good for Wisconsin because I support worker freedom, and I also believe that given the chance to join, most private sector employees will still choose to join, as we have seen in other states.

“Passing right-to-work legislation builds on our successful efforts to improve Wisconsin's business climate and keeps Wisconsin competitive with regional states, Michigan and Indiana. I look forward to seeing the positive results of this law.”

 “I spent my childhood in Tennessee, a state that passed so-called “Right-to-Work” legislation in 1947, so I have seen what the future holds for Wisconsin’s hardworking families—lower wages, fewer healthcare benefits, dangerous working conditions, and higher poverty.

"If not for the good-paying union job that my grandfather was able to secure at A.O. Smith in Milwaukee, I would not have escaped poverty nor been able to realize my dream of going to college. Unions, and their ability to give working people the power to bargain for better pay and working conditions, raised millions of American families into the middle class, and their decades-long decline has directly mirrored the stagnant wages and benefits that have jeopardized the American Dream for so many working families."

"Why, in the face of skyrocketing income inequality, Wisconsin Republicans think that our workers deserve lower wages and weaker bargaining power defies comprehension. So-called “Right-to-Work” puts Wisconsin into a disastrous race to the bottom and ensures the further disintegration of the strong middle class that made our state a shining beacon of hope to those seeking a life free of poverty and workplace exploitation.”

"The Wisconsin State Assembly took an important vote this week to help the state economy and protect individuals’ freedom in the workplace.  Legislators gave final legislative approval to SB 44, the right-to-work bill, which gives workers the option to join their union or not.  I voted in favor of worker freedom, and as your state representative I want to explain why this legislation is essential for Wisconsin.

When I first began learning about right to work, I was hesitant about supporting the concept, thinking it could be construed as an intrusion into the private sector.  However, after studying the facts on the issue and talking with constituents over the last year, it has become clear to me that our state needs to be a right-to-work state.

The bill we approved in the legislature is a simple bill.  It prohibits worker agreements that require union membership and automatic dues.  The underlying principle is that employees should have the choice to belong or not belong to unions.  As a condition of employment they should not be forced to join or pay dues to an organization with which they do not agree.

This legislation is hardly anti-union. Unions will continue to exist, and current contracts will be honored. Indiana passed right-to-work in 2012, and union membership grew by 50,000 jobs last year.  Although people often say right-to-work hurts unions, some union leaders disagree. “This is something I've never understood, that people think right to work hurts unions,” according to Gary Casteel, Secretary-Treasurer of UAW Region 8.  “To me, it helps them. You don't have to belong if you don't want to,” he added.

Worker freedom is the main reason I decided to support right to work.  However, there are many economic factors that weighed in my decision.  Currently, there are 24 right-to-work states in our country.  A Marquette University study found that states with worker freedom have outperformed forced-union states.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported right-to-work states added jobs at a quicker pace.  According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, wage growth has increased at a faster rate in right-to-work states.

What hits home the most for me is that families and individuals in right-to-work states end up with more money in the bank.  The National Institute for Labor Relations Research found that when adjusted for cost-of-living, wages in right-to-work states are higher than in forced-union states.

I am optimistic about what right-to-work will mean for Wisconsin’s future.  I think it will make our state more competitive in the region and around the country.  Right-to-work is often a factor business owners consider in deciding where to locate their companies.  We’ve done a great deal in the last four years to attract new businesses to Wisconsin and to keep companies in the Badger State.  We’ve reformed the tax code, streamlined regulations and improved the business climate.  Now we’re just opening the door of economic opportunity a little wider.

There has been a lot of misinformation about-right-to work throughout the lengthy conversation that we’ve had as a state on this issue.  I believe that once we have this economic tool in our toolbox to bring more development and businesses to Wisconsin that citizens will agree: right-to-work is right for our state and our hard-working citizens."