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Published March 13, 2007
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State Sen. Pat Ward, R-West
Des Moines, represents District 30 in the Iowa Senate. The
district includes West Des Moines, Clive
and Windsor
Heights. Ward can be reached at
281-3371 or pat.ward@legis.state.ia.us.
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Ward: New Senate 'fair share' proposal is a wolf in sheep's clothing
BY SEN. PAT WARD
SENATE DISTRICT 30
This week Democrats in the Iowa Senate took a big
step toward repealing Iowa's
Right to Work law. They gave the greenlight
to legislation requiring Iowa's
public employees who do not belong to a union, to pay union fees or be fired. In my opinion, this is the most serious threat Iowa has faced in our
efforts to create new jobs and bring new industry to our state.
According to a 2006 study by Trinity College and Florida State University,
nearly 70 percent of Iowa's public employees currently do not belong to a
union, including 12,000 K-12 teachers across the state. These
workers could be hit with a pay cut of up to $60 a month in mandatory union
dues if this bill is signed into law. Union coffers,
on the other hand, will receive an estimated $119 million or more out of the
deal.
I believe this bill is about more money and more power for the unions. If it's not about the money, then unions should respond
to the influx of dollars by reducing fees for existing members.
The bill will have a chilling effect on Iowa's economy. It
guts Iowa's Right to Work law, which
guarantees that no worker in Iowa
has to join a union in order to have a job. This
bill is nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Iowa's
businesses should be on notice. The camel's nose is
under the tent, and it's only a matter of time before the entire camel is in
the tent. While the "fair share"
legislation may apply to only public-sector workers now, private-sector
employees may not be far behind.
Right to Work helps foster job creation and business growth.
Business relocation consultants estimate that between 50 and 90
percent of businesses looking to expand or relocate will not even consider
non-Right to Work states. The news media has already
reported on several business expansion projects that are now in limbo,
including a construction firm's expansion in Sioux City,
a nationally known cold storage facility thinking of locating in Council Bluffs and an out-of-state firm considering Iowa as its future base for Midwest
operations. The threat of lost jobs due to this bill
is very real.
Iowa's
workers also lose when they lose Right to Work. Unions
say that non-union employees should pay their "fair share" for
representation at the bargaining table. But unions
voluntarily choose to represent all employees as part of the collective
bargaining process because their exclusive representation status gives them
the upper hand in negotiations.
Since unions choose to be the exclusive representative, it is hardly fair for
them to come back later and complain that non-union employees are not paying
their "fair share." Non-union members do
not ask for unions to represent them on their behalf, unions make that
decision when they choose to become the sole bargainer at the table.
I believe Iowa's
workers - public or private - should not be forced to pay for activities they
do not wish to support. They should have the freedom
to decide whether joining a union is right for them. Iowa's Right to Work
law gives workers that choice.
Next, the House will have to take up the legislation. It's
just another step on a slippery slope. Be assured, I
won't give up my fight to keep Right to Work from slipping away.
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