Groups like the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) will tell anyone who will listen how awful they think unions are for businesses and why right to work legislation is so great. It should be noted that the NFIB is a biased source.
That doesn’t mean their information is inherently wrong – it just means it should be questioned. On unions they are only giving you half of the story. Contrary to what business groups would have you believe, the formation of unions isn’t some Communist process. The members of a given organization must vote to unionize – and that vote is majority rule vote just like the rest of our democracy. If the union is failing its members the members can vote at anytime to decertify the union. Making a special exemption in democracy to allow some union members to receive all of the benefits of union representation without having to pay for it is not democratic.
Ironically, Republicans can’t stand when citizens “don’t pay any taxes” while still receiving the benefits of roads, police, and military. Yet when it comes to getting higher pay, insurance, and a safe workplace being a freeloader is just fine with them.
And while being “forced” to pay to work is clearly unconstitutional, these same groups don’t seem to care about being forced to pay to live where you want. If you live in a subdivision where you are forced to pay an “association due” in exchange for “services” you cannot refuse to pay simply because you don’t see any value in the association.
Continue reading at the Detroit News….
