Walker's Right-to-Work already eating away at our state....

Blackmail and corporate bullying got Scott Walker's attention alright, that's why Badger Meter hosted the right-to-work bill signing ceremony in Wisconsin.

The company owner was asked what RTW had to do with his promise to add 100 workers. His answer...a word salad of Scott Walker talking points. A non-answer just like slick Scott. Here's WISC and Jessica Arp:

Right to work and Badger Meter, Walker's dream team is our nightmare:

Milwaukee: Today Governor Scott Walker signed so-called Right to Work legislation at the headquarters of Badger Meter, a company with a record of outsourcing Wisconsin jobs to Mexico while also benefiting from public development investments. Its CEO recently threatened to outsource 100 more jobs from Wisconsin if he did not get his way on the legislation. Governor Walker’s privatized jobs agency, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), has not closed loopholes which permit public economic development dollar to go to companies engaged in outsourcing.

Badger Meter employees not Invited, embarrassment to company:

WSJ: Asked why few if any of his employees were at the signing ceremony, Meeusen said, “This is a Monday. It’s a work day. And most of them are working. I didn’t shut down the whole plant to bring them over here.”

But two employees taking a break outside the building said workers had been told not to attend the ceremony to avoid “embarrassing” the company. They asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.

Stories like this are just starting to trickle out, and getting a lot of press:

That approach doesn't suit businessman James Hoffman, however.The president and owner of Hoffman Construction Co. of Black River Falls told lawmakers last month that the change could harm his business, since a union for heavy equipment operators runs training programs that provide him with workers.

Hoffman said he was considering adding workers in Minnesota now because of the right-to-work change, prevailing wage proposals and doubts about long-term funding for road building in Wisconsin.

"I am a fourth-generation family owner and am proud to say we have fifth-generation workers. We are a union shop by choice," Hoffman said. "Over time, right-to-work legislation interferes with my company's ability to have access to skilled, productive workers which I depend upon."

Opposition to Right-to-Work Ignored by Desperate Republicans fighting "Sluggish" Wisconsin economy.

I've got a few selected video cuts that I feel should go on the record before right-to-work gets rammed down our throats by these know-it-all Walker Republicans.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald openly and repeatedly admits Wisconsin is suffering a sluggish economy. That's a dramatically different message than the one our world touring governor Scott Walker is saying.

It also shows you how desperate Fitzgerald and the Republicans are right now, where they even have to throw right-to-work up against the wall. Video taken by the Devil's Advocates:



The next clip features audio from WPR and video from WPT's Here and Now. Shawn Johnson reports that Sen. Scott Fitzgerald said the cozy relationship between road contractors and union workers is driving up costs, which really means RTW will drive down costs. Here and Now's guest, former Republican representative John Gard (a guy I never agreed with), defended that good relationship between employer and employee, saying:

"...is that like a bad thing? It doesn't make sense as far as I'm concerned, from the standpoint employers and employee should not be in a constant state of combat. That is not productive...our per mile construction costs in Wisconsin is in the lowest 10 cost in the nation." 

Gard must have forgotten Walker's promise to "divide and conquer" the unions. He would like nothing more than to have that constant employer and employee battle:



From  Upfront with Mike Gousha, Democratic Rep. Peter Barca makes a great argument against right-to-work, while Rep. Robin Vos makes one dumb statement after the next, like:

"So one of the things I like to look at as we are going through this process; is right to work a good thing for Wisconsin? I believe it is."

Well, that's good enough for me. Or this gem:

"I would love to be Indiana..."

And we would love that you move there soon Robin:

Minnesota Republicans use Walker’s clichéd by-the-book conservatism, and RTW, against him! Luring businesses away…

This is never a good headline if you’re a Wisconsin Republican:

"With right-to-work poised to pass, Minnesota Republicans target Wisconsin businesses."

Watching our GOP majority follow Scott Walker over the cliff on right-to-work, and lying through their teeth about rising wages and union membership, was apparently too much of a good thing for Minnesota Republicans to pass up. Cap Times-Jessie Opoien:

He's a Republican alright...

Minnesota Rep. Pat Garofalo, the Republican chairman of the Minnesota House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee, sent letters this week to two Wisconsin businesses, Hoffman Construction and Rock Road Companies, Inc., offering assistance in relocating their headquarters to Minnesota. The letters went to both union contractors who privately contract with the International Union of Operating Engineers.

How do Republicans really feel about right-to-work?

"Wisconsin's right-to-work legislation would negatively impact the private contracts between these companies and the unions they have voluntarily decided to partner with," Garofalo said in a statement. "It's heavy-handed and wrong for Wisconsin to inject government into these private contractual relationships that has worked well for private companies for decades."

In the letter to Rock Road President Bill Kennedy, Garofalo wrote that many Republicans in Minnesota believe such a law interferes with a business's right to set terms and conditions of employment in the workplace. "That Republicans in Wisconsin would inject the heavy hand of government into this relationship is regrettable and quite inconsistent with the principles of free enterprise and limited government."

Scot Ross, executive director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, in a statement said, "That top Minnesota elected Republicans are actively trying to steal our businesses shows the disaster caused in Wisconsin by Scott Walker's failed policies and AWOL leadership.

Believe It or Not: Big Business wants Right-to-Work so they can give us a raise?

Think about this one thing in the right to work “debate” just hitting the fan; Republicans want you to believe the Koch brothers, Americans for Prosperity, its offshoot clone Wisconsin Right to Work, along with big business and their corporate lobbyists, are desperately trying to pass right-to-work laws so they can pay their employees higher wages. Really, seriously?

The right to work myth depends on wishful unsupported conclusions that claim to be thoroughly researched. Rep. Chris Kapenga, part of the disgruntled “accountant class” in our legislature, will be pushing his outdated flawed data to fellow in-the-tank RTW Republicans who are supposedly still sitting on the fence (give us a break). Here's what he said on WPR's morning show, along with Rep. Cory Mason (audio). Check out what Kapenga says at around 3:38:

Mackinacdotorg: “According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, nominal personal income grew by 209.3 percent in right-to-work states and by 148.5 percent in non-right-to-work states from 1990 to 2011.”

What’s this “nominal personal income” stuff?: According to the Business Dictionary, it’s Income unadjusted for the effects of inflation or deflation, part of a salary or wage paid out not including benefits such as subsidized meals or transportation.

But who would not apply the above factors into income averages for employees? Someone selling RTW.

Imagine adopting the RTW idea 35 years ago: 

Really? 

Income levels would be on the order of $3,000 per person higher today … For all states, the median income loss per capita is $3,278, or more than $13,000 for a family of four. Even if that conclusion seriously overstates the results of RTW laws, the true effect is still likely quite substantial.

There counting children too? Crazy stuff. 

Right to work lowers wages and benefits, it's that simple. Big business doesn't want to pay people more money for gods sake:

EPI: Elise Gould and Heidi Shierholz, researchers at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), studied what they called "the compensation penalty of 'right-to-work' laws" and concluded: "Right-to-work" laws are associated with significantly lower wages and reduced chances of receiving employer-sponsored health insurance and pensions -- are based on the most rigorous statistical analysis currently possible … workers in "right-to-work" states have lower compensation -- both union and nonunion workers alike.

McClatchy: workplace safety suffers in right-to-work states, where workers are less likely to secure job safety enhancements beyond federal and state regulations. McClatchy Newspapers, 2/16/12

Congressional Research Service: Workers In Right-To-Work States Make An Average Of $7,000 Less Than Those In Non-Right-To-Work States. Citing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Congressional Research Service reported that the average wage in a right-to-work state was $42,465, compared with $49,495 in "labor security" states. Congressional Research Service, 6/20/12

Economic Policy Institute: Wages for Union And Non-Union Workers Are Lower by "An Average of $1,500 a year." For every $1 million in wage cuts to workers, $850,000 less is spent in the economy, which translates into a loss of six jobs. Economic Policy Institute,9/16/11

Hofstra University's Lonnie Stevans: Wages and personal income are both lower in right-to-work states, yet proprietors' income is higher. As a result, while right-to-work states may maintain a somewhat better business environment relative to non-right-to-work states, these benefits do not necessarily translate into increased economic verve for the right-to-work states as a whole -- there appears to be little 'trickle-down' to the largely non-unionized workforce in these states. Review of Law & Economics, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2009

Researchers Find That "Right-To-Work" Laws Have "No Significant Positive Impact Whatsoever On Employment."  2/2/12

EPI: The most recent and most methodologically rigorous studies conclude that the policy has no statistically significant impact whatsoever. Economic Policy Institute, 3/16/11

AP: "The reason we don't have clear views (on right-to-work laws) is because it's always being debated at its extremes," said Gary Chaison, a professor of labor relations at Clark University in Massachusetts, who assigns his students to analyze the issue each year. In the end, when it comes to jobs and the law, "we don't know causation," he said. Associated Press, 1/28/12

MYTH: Right-To-Work Laws Protect Workers From Supporting Political Spending

FACT: Workers Can Opt Out Of Full Union Membership And Prevent Fees From Supporting Political Spending … employees who object to full union membership may continue as 'core' members and pay only that share of dues used directly for representation, such as collective bargaining and contract administration. Known as objectors, they are no longer full members but are still protected by the union contract. Unions are obligated to tell all covered employees about this option, which was created by a Supreme Court ruling and is known as the Beck right. National Labor Relations Board, accessed 12/11/12

CWA v. Beck: Unions Cannot Force Non-Members To Pay Dues For Political Action. , 6/29/88

Locke v. Karass: Non-Union Workers At Organized Work Places Cannot Be Forced To Pay For "Political, Public Relations, Or Lobbying" Activities By Unions.  1/21/09

The Truth about Indiana's Right to Work Jobs Utopia!

Make no mistake, Republicans and their supporters are the biggest freeloaders in the country. Their empty rhetoric over the “takers” is a distraction from their own desire to feed off the government, its services and now union representation.

The Economic Policy Institute just released the facts over Indiana’s claim Right to Work has attracted business.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has pointed to Indiana’s economic success since passing “right to work” as a reason for Michigan to adopt similar legislation. 

Here's Ed Schultz:

More facts:

-It is too soon for the RTW law to have impacted corporate location decisions.

-Claims of RTW success story refuted by employer cited … the MBC Group as an employer that he said was creating jobs in Indiana because of RTW. MBC is not an out-of-state firm, but was founded in Indiana in 2009, and opened its Brookville location … The MBC Group promptly denied that RTW was the reason for its location decision.

-Companies claimed to be attracted by RTW were actually already located in Indiana … Busche Steel,  DynamicsSealCorp USA, Whayne Supply … That Indiana officials count each of these companies as firms whose facilities were drawn to the state because of RTW raises serious concerns regarding the reliability of IEDC claims as to the law’s impact.

-Not a single company says it came to Indiana because of RTW: IEDC is a vocal advocate for RTW … the commission’s Legislative Update report does not identify a single company that says RTW made the difference in its decision to locate in Indiana.

-Indiana continues to lose jobs to non-RTW states: The extent to which RTW is discounted in business location decisions is apparent in the significant number of Indiana firms that—since the passage of RTW—continue to choose to invest in other, non-RTW states. A short sample of such decisions includes: 

Manitowic plans to close its Indiana facility and move the jobs to Cleveland, Ohio.16, Diamond Foods plans to close its Indiana facility and move the jobs to California.17, Whirlpool plans to move the jobs remaining in its Evansville, Indiana, facility to Benton Harbor, Michigan.18, Gunite (Accuride) closed its Indiana facility and moved the jobs to Illinois.19

2012 job growth is due to the economic recovery rather than RTW

Michigan Republicans took a whole hour and half to pass Right-to-Work. Does that qualify as ramming it down our throats?

Remember what happened when Scott Walker tried to pass Act 10 in 4 days? Or how quickly Republicans passed the voter ID law? Even though there were protests, Republicans didn't seem to care or more importantly, take it down a notch.

But remember how Republicans complained Obamacare passed to quickly after Obama campaigned and spent his entire first year debating it?

Never again. We will laugh in their face when they protest how quickly a bill was passed by Democratic legislators.

So now in Michigan, Republicans passed a Right to Work law in just an hour and a half over the protests of tens of thousands of voters. Like Scott Walker on ending same day registration, Gov. Snyder said he wasn't interested in signing any legislation like right to work. But if given the chance...well, you know the answer.

Republican never made any sense when they argued for right to work, and against paying union dues or being a part of the union. If they didn't like the conditions of their employment, why did they take the job in the first place? They could have always found a job somewhere else, instead of destroying union membership for those who are perfectly happy with it?

Why  didn't they leave well enough alone? You can call it rugged individualism, a way of defunding a union's First Amendment right to contribute to politicians, or a strong authoritarian need to control everything. All of the above?

Here's the story of freeloading conservative politicians and workers who don't want to pay union dues, but still want to reap the benefits, which by the way will disappear soon anyway. Goodbye living wages folks. Ezra Klein:

Fox News: Republicans rushed right-to-work legislation through the Michigan Legislature Thursday, drawing raucous protests from hundreds of union supporters, some of whom were pepper-sprayed by police when they tried to storm the Senate chamber.

Republicans in Indiana and Wisconsin recently pushed through legislation curbing union rights, sparking massive protests.

Even before the Michigan bills surfaced, protesters streamed inside the Capitol preparing for what appeared inevitable after Snyder, House Speaker Jase Bolger and Senate Minority Leader Randy Richardville announced at a news conference they were putting the issue on a fast track. "This is all about taking care of the hard-working workers in Michigan, being pro-worker and giving them freedom to make choices," Snyder said.

Again, people are free to choose to work somewhere else:

Michigan Republicans see backlash proposing Right-to-Work-for-Less.

Big story rolling out of Michigan today and last night. From WMEN last night:

Today news:

That’s Republican Senator Tonya Schuitmaker, apparently outraged that the people of Michigan dared to express their displeasure with the Republican anti-worker agenda.

Additionally, Republicans have called in countless State Police officers again today to guard their offices and question the public as they enter the Capitol to protest the Republican agenda:

Frankly, if you have to bring in a massive police presence in order to conduct business at the State Capitol, it might be time for Republicans to rethink what they’re doing.

UPDATE 12:53pm: Police have begun pepper spraying and removing protesters from the Capitol!

Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald and Caucus Wanted Right-to-Work Legislation. Walker never said he wouldn't sign it.....

Right to work is coming if the Democrats don't grab hold of the state senate, along with fewer "job creation" bills. I don't understand why we're expected to be like every other state in the country run by Republicans.

Salon: Does Scott Walker want to make Wisconsin a right-to-work state? He says no. But his allies are gunning for it.

In a new video, the speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly says his caucus wanted to pass a right-to-work bill last year. The video, shot on March 27 of this year by a Democratic Party tracker, who provided the footage to Salon, captures Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald talking at a bar with a reporter from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The reporter asks Fitzgerald whether he was surprised when Walker described his plans to attack public workers’ collective bargaining. “No, it wasn’t a shock to me …” responds Fitzgerald. “My caucus wanted to go further. I had people in my caucus that was, you know, were wondering if we were going to do Right to Work in this state. So to tell you the truth, the collective bargaining, to me, I thought was more of a middle ground if you can believe that.”

Conservatives Gleeful over Sub-Zero closing, 100 job losses. If Only we had Right-to-Work.

And you thought Republicans wanted to bring business into the state? No, no, no. They would much rather show those Madison liberals a thing or two. 

It's another case of projection. For years Republicans have bashed Democrats for being the enemy of business. Well check out the glorious comments posted at trash talker Vicki McKenna's Facebook page in response to the story about Sub-Zero's plans to close up shop here, and move the right-to-work state Arizona. One hundred workers will lose their jobs. You can see my response below their gloating: 

All this after union workers just made major concessions too. WSJ;

Bitterly fought contract agreements, reached over the past year and a half, cost union members 20 percent of their pay and benefits and froze wages for five years but promised to keep their jobs until at least 2018. 

With a name like "Right to work," you have to know it means just the opposite coming from the GOP.

Right-to-Work!!! Get familiar with the term, it's about to become law in Wisconsin if the Republican majority has anything to do with. Below is a great summary of what we can look forward to in yet another complete "free market" lie.

The Daily Page: Making it harder for unions to recruit new members is likely a part of the state Republican legislative agenda. Although Republicans, including Scott Walker, avoided the term "right-to-work" during the campaign, Democrats fear the emboldened GOP majorities will make it a part of their pro-business platform in the coming months.

Under right-to-work statutes, employers are forbidden from entering "closed shop" agreements with employees, which make membership in a union a requirement for all employees. With union membership at all-time lows, I am guessing the public would likely support the change, although I have not seen any polls to prove it.

Interestingly, as many libertarians will tell you, right-to-work is an inherently anti-free market policy, which hinders the right of workers and management to negotiate contracts. However, it has effectively been messaged as a free market mechanism.

Related articles

• BREAKING: Democrat Introduces Legislation to End Right-to-Work States (chicagonow.com)
• States that Force Union Membership Losing Population to Those that Don't (chicagonow.com)
• Can It Be That Taxes Have A Negative Impact On Population? (gadabout-blogalot.com)