Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says right-to-work issue is on the table

[Omaha]

Wow, as a Colbert Conservative I can confidently say reading these posts on this subject has caused me to lose 2 hours of my life I’d like to get back.

Let me say I love Right-To-Work legislation for many reasons most of which are directly and indirectly related to the maximization of short-term profits for the large stockholders of publicly traded corporations. The expansion of “RTW for less”…yes the union’s name is accurate, and the reduction of union density increases management’s power to become “lean and mean” or "do more with less." It insures that our nation’s income and wealth will once again resemble what it was at the heights of the Gilded Age!

I have lived in both Detroit [[well not really…just the toniest of its suburbs) and Omaha. I much prefer Nebraska and its RTW for less laws. Section 14b of the Taft-Hartley codified a state by state option to end compulsory unionization and as importantly the requiring of agency fees. Nebraska became a RTW for less state by constitutional amendment even before the SCOTUS ruled the 1947 Taft-Hartley constitutional!

RTW was actually bandied about in the South before 1947 as an anti-union tool because some of those industrial unions were pushing a “black and white together” agenda…which didn’t go over too well with some white Southerners

One of the reasons I love RTW is its name. RTW implies a RTW. There is, of course, NO right to work. Having a right to work would limit the employer of the power to use "divide and conquer" to make the “reverse auction” for jobs work to OUR advantage.

We love it when we can always get wage earners competing individually against one another for the existing jobs. We always have. History reveals it is an American tradition. Pitting free white workers against indentured servants and slave; men against women; adults against children; native born against immigrant; white against POC; union against non-union; RTW against non-RTW [[Michigan’s Police and Fire unions); native workers against desperate workers in developing countries…all part of the game.

In the early to mid 20^th Century unionized textile in the Northeast moved to the Southeast lured by politicians bragging about low unionization rates. Gee, lower wages mean greater profits. What’s astounding is those Southern politicians were perplexed when the industry moved off shore...again in search of ever lower wages [[the reverse auction is worldwide now because thank goodness capital can move anywhere).

“Ideally employers should put every plant they own on a barge so that it could move around the world to take advantage of lower wages.” Jack Welch, former CEO, General Electric Corporation

The other reason I love RTW is its many defenders who are willing to argue that it is good for everyday wage earners. If its so good, why did the Legislature and Governor deprive the police and fire of its many benefits?

RTW is good for employers who want to return to the days before unions when employers had the unilateral right to make any and all decisions about what happened in the workplace and often in the homes of its employees as well.

Some of the people on this post think that CEOs of publicly traded companies actually are the job creators. Job creation inside and outside the U.S. is a side effect. CEOs are primarily interested in maximizing short-term profits unearned income and wealth for people like themselves. But don't call them GREEDY...PLEASE leave that term for unions who want to take from us their fair share of the wealth they believe they helped create.

“Let me say as a caveat that I have spent most of my life worrying about the next quarter’s earnings.” Norman Augustine, President, Chairman, and CEO Lockheed Martin Corporation, 1997

The history of how the employment relationship was “humanized” has heroes and villains. Every employee workplace right and protection costs employers money…money that should be going into stockholders’ pockets. Unions are the villains in this story. They forced employers to limit the 7-day workweek; limit the use of child labor; and reduce the 14 hour workday; and put fire exits and room capacities in factories. Each so-called improvement directly and indirectly raising labor costs. Every legislative right, protection and safeguard had unions as part of the coalition pushing for passage. Everyone of those laws had employers, employer associations and our politicians resisting with everything we had.

Unions are the enemy, they are the villains of American history. They ended the dictatorship of employers with their “meaningful workplace democracy.” Every move they to create a collective power and end the reverse auction cost us money.

I say pass a NATIONAL RTW for less law and make it apply to both the NLRA and the RLA. While were at it, let’s deregulate child labor, end the Equal Pay Act, defund OSHA, and go with Rand Paul and tear up Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. ALL of them drive up the cost of doing business. Each limits the ability of employers to use divide and conquer on their workforce.

Back to the future. With conservative help we can return to the late 1800s and the Gilded Age where the shining homes on the hill tops belonged to the deserving Robber Barons.

[firstandten]

I didn't weigh in much about RTW because honestly I don't know what will happen as a result of this legislation. My big complaint has to do with the process. The process stunk and I hope Snyder pays for it at the polls as a result. I would have been ok with him signing the bill knowing he still has to appease his party if he had made sure the appropriations was taken out of the bill. To try and defend RTW as policy as Snyder tried to do rang hollow when you look at all the tricks the Repubs used to pass that legislation. Good policy should stand on its own, or at least let the people decide. And if RTW is such good policy how come it wasn't extended to the police and firefighters.

[Omaha]

firstandten – Your comments suggest that there was something unethical or troubling about the process. You want transparency and due diligence? Hogwash! There is a DIFFERENCE between government working transparently to insure that the will of all the people is fully heard before enacting law, AND what is needed to be LEGALLY done before enacting a law. I am just sorry I have to wait. The new RTW law most likely goes into effect until around April Fools’ Day 2013.

What those “true believers” in the conservative ideals did was remind all Michiganders that “ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.” I, for one am glad that at least in 2010, the conservative backlash to the election of President Obama helped enough friends of an unregulated free market get elected to office.

Your conservative friends in the Michigan legislature and Governor Snyder want you and the rest of the state to know that they are NOT asleep. These conservatives have learned the lessons from what happened when unions were correctly seen as the enemy of the one percent in Wisconsin and Ohio.

I choose to view what happened as the lame duck legislature and Governor Snyder as acting like Santa Clause…just a little earlier. Knowing they could not accomplish this great feat in anything other than the time they had left as a “lame duck” legislature…they know how to count votes. In the new session, the votes would NOT be there. So like Santa, they knew they had to work fast to bring all Michiganders an early Christmas present…RTW for less.

RTW is a “two-fer” for free enterprise advocates like myself. They weaken the union [[1) in the workplace and [[2) in the political arena. As I noted in my earlier posting, historically every bill the labor movement supported in their attempt to bring a little democracy to the workplace, limits the unilateral power of management to make decisions about how to maximize short-term profits for stockholders.

This more easily happened because the history of how the employment relationship evolved is NOT taught in the schools. Most folks are ignorant about the role unions played in "humanizing" the workplace for union members and for non union members. Thank goodness for that ignorance. Workplace rights that are now TAKEN FOR GRANTED can easily be removed…in this instance I believe the adage “ignorance is bliss” works to the advantage of the free market.

Every bill giving employees meaningful rights and safeguards, directly and indirectly hurts management’s primary goal to enrich its owners. Here’s Nobel Prize economist Milton Friedman on the subject.

“The view has been gaining widespread acceptance that corporate officials and labor leaders have a "social responsibility" that goes beyond serving the interest of their stockholders or their members. This view shows a fundamental misconception of the character and nature of a free economy...[f]ew trends could so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of our free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible.”

These union efforts to humanize are wrong because they are anti-owner! It is OUR PROFITS to decide how to spend…and we have a great time honored scheme in place to keep labor costs as low as possible.

“Any man who pays more for labor than the lowest sum he can get men for is robbing the stockholders. If he can secure men for $6 and pays more, he is stealing from the company.” Stockholder of American Woolen Company, [[Lawrence, Massachusetts) told to the Rev. Harry Emerson Fosdick , 1911

UNIONS resist that divide and conquer “reverse auction” management strateGy up with their “I have your back, you have mine” kind of wage earner solidarity. Michigan conservatives were smart to exempt POLICE and FIREFIGHTERS. Governor Walker tried it and Governor Kasich did not. It's part of the divide and conquer strategy that works so well.

Unfortunately, in Ohio the labor movement united and overturned the attack on them by bringing it to a statewide referendum vote. It was defeated by 62% of the electorate. Fortunately, Michigan saw that possibility and attached money to the bills...making a statewide referendum on the issue mute.

I much prefer the solidarity of conservative legislators working in a lame duck session of the legislature bringing stockholders a wonderful present for Christmas. And as a Colbert Conservative, let me wish all of you on DetroitYes forums a very Merry Christmas.

[firstandten]

Omaha, I really enjoy your posts and your Colbert Conservative take on the world. You should come on here more often.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

RTW sucks and results in lower wages for everyone across the board, except for the stockholders and corporate honchos. We might as well bring back slavery while we're at it. The jobs that Snyder claims will be created by RTW will be "Walmart" comparable in wages earned. "Be careful what you wish for" Welcome to Michissippi.

[Jimaz]

RTW sucks and results in lower wages for everyone across the board, except for the stockholders and corporate honchos....

... Who don't labor.

The impoverished who can't labor receive scorn. The wealthy who won't labor receive corporate-welfare bailouts. The working class who does all of the labor receives betrayal.

There goes that formerly-notorious Midwestern work-ethic reputation down the drain. No more reward for striving for that formerly-attainable social mobility.

What has been earned need no longer be paid. The deadbeats are in power.

May his parasitic-saboteur-in-power name forever remain "Sneaky Snyder."

[rb336]

May his parasitic-saboteur-in-power name forever remain "Sneaky Snyder."

no, that doesn't come near enough to capturing the sliminess of the man