Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Update: WOW on hold in MO

Teamsters protest anti-worker legislation on Friday in St. Louis.
Good news (sort of): The Missouri Senate did not pass anti-worker legislation last night.

The Senate debated for three hours on right to work (for LESS) legislation before postponing further discussion until after spring break. The issue will likely not be revisited until March 28 at the earliest, when the weeklong break is over.

"Right-to-work" (for LESS) has nothing to do with rights and nothing to do with work. It's part of the corporate agenda to weaken unions, lower wages and eliminate requirements for workplace safety.

Teamsters have more than a week to call their senators to tell them they strongly oppose this anti-worker, anti-middle class bill. Here are some facts they might want to share with their elected representatives: 
  • Right to work (for LESS) laws lower wages for everyone. The average worker in states with right to work (for LESS) laws makes $5,538 a year less than workers in other states.

  • They endanger safety and health standards that protect workers on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the rate of workplace deaths is 52.9 percent higher in states with these right to work (for LESS)laws.

  • They hurt communities by lowering workers’ buying power. Higher  unionization within a community means consumers have more to spend. That’s good for local companies, especially those in retail sales and services.