Last week, Gov. Walker officially made the decision to sign so-called “Right to Work” if it landed on his desk. This announcement by the presumed 2016 presidential candidate has caused an uproar throughout the state. When Republicans opened a forum this week to address the issue, thousands of union workers and supporters from across Wisconsin flocked to the steps of the capital to give testimony on how this bill will affect not only their lives, but the lives of their co-workers, family, and friends. Union brothers and sisters were standing in freezing temperatures together singing songs of how “the union makes us strong,” and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO had a whole lineup of speakers to rally the troops, make noise, and show the legislators that they have upset many working Wisconsinites.
While many individuals have a lot of different feelings on this bill, often people are confused as to exactly what it means. Unions stand as the speaking voice of the employees of a company. They facilitate discussion between the owners and the employees to assure a fair shake for both parties. In order to secure benefits for the workers, unions rely on dues from their members to function. In a unionized workplace, all workers need to pay dues in order to secure benefits. Right-to-work (RTW) legislation takes away the need for all employees to pay union dues. In other words, this bill would create an unfair system in which people who don’t pay union dues would still be able to enjoy union benefits.
Without dues, unions will no longer be able to provide the same services of collective bargaining and opening dialogue between employees and employers. Subsequently, since the unions would be much weaker, employees would see a lot of their benefits start to disappear. Wages will drop, vacation days and sick leave will be cut, and corporate entities would seize control and block the voices of workers. We would see all the work done by unions in the past century begin to disappear.
The impact does not only fall on unions and workers but the state as a whole. The economist Gordon Lafer recently published an article on the Economic Policy Institute website stating how RTW is bad economics. Lafer stated that “RTW is associated with lower wages and benefits for both union and nonunion workers. In a RTW state, the average worker makes 3.2 percent less than a similar worker in a non-RTW state.” This bill does not intend for people to have a “right to work.” It only attacks the institutions that strengthen the voice of workers. The bill will put more power into the hands of the wealthy and continue to squeeze the working class dry.
“Right to Work” is a student issue too. Due to the inevitable pay cuts, Wisconsin families will have a harder time sending their children to college. The combination of “right to work” and the tuition hikes that will follow Gov. Walker’s UW cuts may put UW-Madison out of reach for too many families. The next generation of Badger graduates will enter a job market and see declining wages thanks of right-to-work. The 750,000 Wisconsinites with student loans will have an even tougher time paying off their debt.
Students, particularly those of working class families, will suffer the consequences of this legislation. Before “Right to Work” arrives on Gov. Walker’s desk, students need to speak about the consequences of this attack on working Wisconsinites. If we don’t, the class of 2015 will see lower wages, less benefits, and a weaker middle class.
Danny is the data director for the College Democrats. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
