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All-In [47707]
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Republican lawmakers introduce national 'right-to-work' legi
Feb 2, 2017, 10:36 AM
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REUTERS LEGAL
February 2, 2017 Republican lawmakers introduce national 'right-to-work' legislation Robert Iafolla (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives rolled out a national "right-to-work" bill on Wednesday that could drain union coffers by prohibiting unions from collecting fees from nonmembers that pay for collective bargaining and other nonpolitical expenses. Representatives Steve King of Iowa and Joe Wilson of South Carolina introduced the measure, which would amend the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to bar agreements between unions and management calling for mandatory union membership or nonmembers to pay "fair share" or "agency" fees. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky plans to offer a version in the U.S. Senate later this month, Paul spokesman Sergio Gor said. Republican efforts to pass national right-to-work legislation have failed for years. But Mark Mix, the president of the National Right to Work Committee, said that supporters of the proposal are more optimistic about its chances of passing because Republican President Donald Trump would be unlikely to veto the measure. Mix's group is one of the chief backers of right-to-work legislation, and has spent nearly $40 million lobbying Congress since 1999, according to a database maintained by the U.S. Senate. A nationwide right-to-work law could be a crippling blow to a labor movement that has been shrinking for decades. The union membership rate in the private sector was 6.4 percent in 2016, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That rate stood at 10 percent in 1996 and 21.3 percent in 1976, according to the Union Membership and Coverage Database. Twenty-seven states already have statewide right-to-work laws. Kentucky became the most recent state to approve a right-to-work law in January. State Senates in both Missouri and New Hampshire have passed their own laws, with action pending in their respective Houses of Representatives. A national ban on agency fees would further drive down unionization rates by making it more difficult for unions to effectively represent their members and organize new workplaces, said Gary Burtless, an economist at the Brookings Institution, a centrist think tank. Supporters of right-to-work laws claim they promote individual freedom and attract new business. But opponents say they lead to reduced pay and weaken unions. Wages for union and nonunion workers are 3.1 percent lower in "right-to-work" states, according to a 2015 report from the liberal Economic Policy Institute (EPI). The group's analysis controlled for differences in cost of living, demographics and labor market characteristics. While Republicans command an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives, they have a slim two-seat edge in the Senate, meaning they would likely need some Democrats to cross the aisle to overcome a filibuster. Democrats, with a strong push from the labor movement, are likely to fight hard against a national right-to-work law, said Jeffrey Keefe, a research fellow at EPI. But Democrats would lose their power to block the measure if Republicans invoke the so-called "nuclear option" to eliminate the filibuster for legislation. Trump said on Wednesday Senate Republicans should "go nuclear" if Democrats filibuster his nominee for U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "I suspect the right-to-work advocates may have their day, depending on what happens with the Senate rules," Keefe said. (Additional reporting by Daniel Wiessner)
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Hall of Famer [21521]
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Re: Republican lawmakers introduce national 'right-to-work' legi
Feb 2, 2017, 10:39 AM
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So some issues are better left to the states but not this one. Got it.
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Legend [17744]
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Does the State establish minimum wage?
Feb 2, 2017, 11:50 AM
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Hth
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Heisman Winner [110282]
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Re: Republican lawmakers introduce national 'right-to-work' legi
Feb 2, 2017, 10:40 AM
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Get rid of labor unnions and elimenate minimum wage, we can finally be competative with mexico and china on labor costs. Now we just have to figure out where to put the tent cities so our work force can have proper housing.
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All-In [47707]
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tent cities....have you seen Detroit?***
Feb 2, 2017, 10:42 AM
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Lot o points [154477]
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Oculus Spirit [93152]
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Proper respect in due, it's Mr Welcher to you, sir.***
Feb 2, 2017, 11:14 AM
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CU Guru [1813]
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Legend [16205]
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What a cryin' shame...
Feb 2, 2017, 12:11 PM
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...before they start rioting again.
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