
Right-To-Work Bad for Education
What is RTW? – Public Sector • An employee cannot be required to join the union. • If an agency fee provision is negotiated into the contract the employee who chooses not to join must pay an agency fee that covers contract negotiations and administration.
What is RTW? • RTW law states that a worker can get all the benefits of having a union without having to pay any dues or agency fees. • RTW forces unions to spend resources and members’ dues dollars on “free loaders.”
What is RTW? • RTW weakens the union’s Power • Collective Bargaining • Contract Protections • Political and Legislative Action
Non-Right to Work States The National Landscape Jk:uawlocal760aflcio
New England – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont Mid Atlantic – New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania East North Central – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin Pacific – Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington West North Central – Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, N. Dakota, S. Dakota South Atlantic – Delaware, D. C., Florida, Georgia, Maryland, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia East South Central – Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee West South Central – Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas Mountain – Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming RTW - Bad for Education Non-RTW States 28 + D.C. RTW states 22
New England $12.41 Mid Atlantic $12.85 E. N. Central $12.72 Pacific $12.99 W. N. Central $11.84 S. Atlantic $10.64 E. S. Atlantic $ 9.92 W. S. Central $10.08 Mountain $ 8.87 RTW - Bad for Education Teachers’ Aides Non-RTW RegionsAverage Full-Time Hourly Earnings RTW/BlendedAverage Full-Time Hourly Earnings (National $11.31) AFT PSRP Compensation Report, 2005
RTW - Bad for Education Secretaries Non-RTW RegionsAverage Full-Time Hourly Earnings RTW/BlendedAverage Full-Time Hourly Earnings New England $18.22 Mid Atlantic $18.30 E. N. Central $16.22 Pacific $18.47 W. N. Central $15.32 S. Atlantic $15.29 E. S. Atlantic $14.12 W. S. Central $14.19 Mountain $14.94 (National $16.41) AFT PSRP Compensation Report, 2005
RTW - Bad for Education Teachers Non-RTW RegionsAverage yearly salary RTW/BlendedAverage yearly salary New England $49,684 Mid Atlantic $55,194 E. N. Central $49,916 (Michigan 53,959) Pacific $50,389 W. N. Central $39,164 S. Atlantic $40,455 E. S. Atlantic $40,100 W. S. Central $39,850 Mountain $40,313 (National $47,602) AFT Survey & Analysis of Teacher Salary Trends, 2005
RTW - Bad for Education University 9/10 Month Faculty Salary Michigan Average Salary RTW Average Salary Michigan Universities $78,941 20 Universities of States & State Universities (2 per region) $68,909 AFT LeaderNet Higher Education Data Center
RTW - Bad for Education Community College 9/10 Month Faculty Salary Michigan Average salary RTW Average salary 24 Institutions $66,234 20 Institutions (2 per region) $39,485 AFT LeaderNet Higher Education Data Center
RTW - Bad for Education General Wage Comparison Michigan Average Yearly Earnings RTWAverage Yearly Earnings $39,443 $31,632 2005 State Rankings, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau
RTW – Bad for Education FACT RTW will not help Michigan’s manufacturing crisis. • RTW State N. Carolina had a greater loss of manufacturing jobs than Michigan. (1994-2005) • N. Carolina between June and July, 2007 lost more jobs than any other state in the nation including Michigan. • Oklahoma lost over 22,000 manufacturing jobs after RTW took effect in 2001
RTW – Bad for Education FACT RTW will not help Michigan’s economy. • Union membership means higher wages, higher unionization within a community means consumers have more to spend. • That’s good for Michigan’s economy, local business and education.
RTW – Bad for Education Percentage of population without Health Insurance Non-RTW Michigan RTW 13.4% 11.6% 15.4% Percentage of people younger than 65 with employment based health insurance is lower in RTW States 62.1% vs. 70% in Michigan AFL-CIO
RTW – Bad for Education State Poverty Rates Non-RTW Michigan RTW 11.9% 12.3% 13.8% National 12.6 U.S. Bureau of the Census 2006
RTW – Bad for Education RTW states spend $2,260lessper PreK-12 pupil per year.
Why Are Unions Important? • Education Funding • Child Labor Practices • Worker Safety Laws (workplace deaths are 41% higher in RTW states) • Negotiated higher wage raises societies standard of living • Protection of Worker Rights • Prevents wage and benefit discrimination • FMLA • Fair Labor Standards Act (1928) • Est. minimum wage • Time and a half overtime
RTW – Who’s Behind It Nationally? • Wal-Mart • Holland Coors of Coors Beer • U.S. Chamber of Commerce • Grover Norquist of American’s for Tax Payer Reform & the anti-union Alliance for Worker Freedom
RTW – Who’s Behind It In Michigan? • Mackinac Center • Dick & Betsy DeVos • Michigan Chamber of Commerce • The Detroit Newspapers (primarily The Detroit News) • CEO, David Brandon, Domino’s Pizza • Karmanos
RTW in Michigan RTW in Michigan • Bills have been introduced - H.B. 4454-4455 Offered by JackHoogendyk(R-Kalamazoo) and KevinEisenheimer (R-Bellaire) Co-sponsored by: Steil (R-Grand Rapids), Agema (R-Grandville), Palmer (R-Romeo), Garfield (R-Rochester Hill), Knollenberg (R-Troy), Opsommer (R-Dewitt), Wenke (R-Kalamazoo), Sheen (R-Plainwell), Meltzer (R-Clinton Twp), Acciavatti (R-Chesterfield), Meekhof(R-West Olive), Amos (R-Waterford) S.B. 607-608 Offered by Nancy Cassis (R-Novi)
RTW in Michigan • Potential November 2008 Ballot Proposal • Should know by January 2008
RTW – Michigan Poll If the vote were held today - Union Members Only • 21% support RTW • 67% oppose • 12% are undecided
RTW – Michigan Poll If the vote were held today • 49% support RTW • 40% oppose • 11% undecided
RTW – What You Can Do. • Member to Member flyer • Speak to the issue regularly and often to members, neighbors, family & friends. • Invite a speaker to a meeting • Messages in e-news and/or newsletters • Letters to the editor • Let people know what your union is doing; for families, community, schools
RTW – Cost • Preliminary Campaign: 13th dues check to the State AFL-CIO (AAUP/AFT 6075 covered this for all AFT Michigan locals) • If there is a petition drive - -MILLIONS! (Anti-voucher campaign cost $5-6 Million seven years ago)
RTW – Timeline • October • Kickoff at Presidents Council • October - January • Member-to-Member information campaign • Speakers • January - July • Do Not Sign campaign • Member-to-Member information campaign • July • We should know if RTW will be on the ballot
What is RTW? “Right-to-Work…provides no ‘rights’ and no ‘work.’ … Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining….” Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.