e Randall Rice, from the International Association of Machinists, said that in the United States the
Right to Work movement is funded in large part by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the

National Association of Manufacturers.

Right to Work panel warns delegates

The ugly head of potential “right to work”
legislation is cropping up again in Canada. In
Ontario the Harris government hasn’t
introduced right to work legislation yet, but
that may be coming. But employers in the
province, under legislation, are now posting
instructions on how to decertify their union.

At this year’s convention the union convened
a panel on the topic of right to work, which is
really “open shop” unionism where workers can

opt out of the union and not pay dues — yet the
union has to represent their interests.

Right to work legislation says a union and an
employer can’t freely negotiate a union shop or
closed shop union security agreement, both
which call for mandatory union dues from the
workers in a legally-certified bargaining unit.

The invited speakers were IAM Grand Lodge
Representative Randall Rice from Memphis,
Tennessee, Alberta Federation Executive
Research Director Jim Selby and Ontario
Federation of Labour Research Director Chris
Schenk.

“Some of the governments in Canada have
talked about that (right to work) model of
labour law, but so far, none have adopted it,”
said national third vice-president Norm Rivard,
who introduced the panel. “What we have
instead is governments like ours, in Ontario,
systematically chipping away until, in my
opinion, we will have what they have in 21 of

the United States, or maybe even worse. What

zg

¢ Jim Selby, Alberta Fed of Labour

14/LUMBERWORKER/DECEMBER, 2001

we’re talking about is really anti-union and
really anti-worker labour laws.”

Brother Rivard said that “right to work”
must rightfully be called “right to work for
less.”

Randall Rice told the convention that he has

had years of experience in representing working
in right to work states.

“Right to work is the biggest lie that’s been
forced on the working people in the history of
my country,” he said. “It’s put on us by big
business, and is funded through the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce through the National
Association of Manufacturers”, he added.

He said “right to work” laws don’t give workers
the right to do anything. It doesn’t give them a
job or a right to a job. He said it only takes
away the right of the union and employer to
agree that the payment of dues is a condition of
employment.

Rice said that this has been a disaster for
unions and working people. It was designed to
weaken organized labour.

“Do you think the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
is interested in whether or not you have to pay
30 bucks a month union dues or not?” he said.
“I don’t think you pay dues to the Chamber of
Commerce! They're interested in keeping unions
weak and it’s funded and paid for by big
business.”

He said right to work states in the U.S. have
the lowest wages in the country, as the ability
of unions to set the standards for the whole
economy is affected.

In right to work states, the union has some
workplaces with only 50 to 70 per cent of the
members signed up.

“Imagine, in your local, what would be your
financial situation — I’m talking about travel
and all your expenses — if suddenly you lost 30
per cent, 40 per cent, 50 per cent of your
membership in your funds?” he said.

Still the union in question has to represent
all workers, even if they scab and are anti-
union,” said Rice. He said “you’re required by
law to file a grievance for that person, to take it
through the system, through reports, through
the arbitrations, whatever is required that you
would do for one of your members — and you
pay the bill. You can’t even charge them one
red penny. That’s inherently unfair, it’s evil.”

Tn the federal civil service, right to work laws
are in effect. Rice said only 10,000 of 100,000
Forest Service employees pay dues to the IAM
in that sector.

He said such laws also divide workers at the
plant level and that the union is constantly
trying to organize the workplaces it is in,
putting huge strains on the finances of the
organization at all levels.

Rice said that big business uses an
organization called the National Right to Work
Committee to push their agenda in each state,
each year, seeking legislative support to put in
right to work laws. He said the union spends
millions of dollars fighting it — money that
should be spent organizing new worksites and

° Chris Schenk, Ontario Fed of Labour

servicing the membership.

“Don’t let this insidious, evil disease get a
foothold in your country,” said the speaker. “If
it’s trying to be introduced in one of your
provinces, the time to kill it is before it gets
started.”

“It'll save you a whole lot of heartache and
misery in many (ears to come,” said Rice.

Jim Selby told delegates that the Alberta
government has always been fascinated b:
right to work. He said they brought forwar
right to work initiatives in each of the last four
decades. But the labour movement has been
successful peas them back.

In 1995, the Alberta Fed convened a group
called the Alberta Workers Rights Action
Committee to combat the efforts of the National
Citizens Coalition and its side-kick organization,
Canadians Against Forced Unionism.

_ The head of the latter organization studied
right to work in the United States and “learned
how to come up here and disrupt the workforce,”
said Selby.

The NCC, which is connected with every
continued on page fifteen

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