Should Ohio become right to work state ? (Cleveland, Union: homes, income)

[EarthBound?]

Well I think that the big picture is, "should OHIO become a right to work state?" That was the OP question. We don't want it up here in the Buckeye.

No! it should not and no union in the state of OHIO shoulds have the right to make any shop a, "closed union shop."

[NorthPoleMarathoner]

Originally Posted by EarthBound?

NO! No way!

I don't want some unknown to just walk in off the street and say that he can do my job and the boss just has to give it to him. Too many men and women work hard to get where they are, just to have someone walk in off the street and take it away from them. It would cause alot of problems for the employers and the employees.
If people started thinking like that, then they had better start thinking of Socialize Medical coverage across the board and not just for the one that can afford their own and the sorry lazy welfare riders that get it from the taxes we work pay into.

I work in a right to work state. This doesn't happen. Whoever told you it does is lying.

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by NorthPoleMarathoner

I work in a right to work state. This doesn't happen. Whoever told you it does is lying.

Please Do tell?

How does the right to work law apply in your state?

[Clevelander17]

EarthBound, I'm confused as to which side of this debate you're taking. Ohio is currently not a "right to work" state, meaning unions can require new employees to become members within a period of time after being hired. It's not "closed shop," but it's pretty darn close.

As for my personal opinion, I think if Ohio is to compete with Sun Belt states into the 21st century, we need to become more business-friendly. That includes lowering taxes and reducing regulations. One good first step would be to become a "right to work" state.

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by South Range Family

Companies that have unions have done something in the past to deserve those unions.

South Range Family, I think you've said it all right there! Personally, I believe unions are a mixed blessing. I'm ever grateful that my wages and working conditions at a non-union truckload carrier are better because of the Teamsters. But for my personal situation, I'm not sure I'd be better off having union representation. (I also believe that my employer is clever enough to shut out a union...)

South Range Family, I know there are employers that DO treat their employees so well that they don't want union membership. But most non-union employers keep out unions more though a host of dirty tricks than fair treatment of their employees...

I belong to a trade association (www.ooida.com) and I believe that if enough of my fellow drivers would join, we could change federal & state laws to improve pay & working conditions across the whole industry.

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by Clevelander17

EarthBound, I'm confused as to which side of this debate you're taking. Ohio is currently not a "right to work" state, meaning unions can require new employees to become members within a period of time after being hired. It's not "closed shop," but it's pretty darn close.

As for my personal opinion, I think if Ohio is to compete with Sun Belt states into the 21st century, we need to become more business-friendly. That includes lowering taxes and reducing regulations. One good first step would be to become a "right to work" state.

I use to work a place that had a union (Useless Union) and if a employee didn't want to join, they didn't have too. Its thier choice and there is nothing the union can do about it. The company hired them not the ubion. Now understand that they had no union help if the company gave the employee any problems, but Ohio has laws that protect the common worker. But they got all benifits and pay raises the same as the union members, just no protection (if thats what you want to call what the union does, protect that real workers).

I think our understanding of the "Right to Work State" has a gap in it. I was always told that, in a right to work state if you've been working at a company and someone comes along and says they can do the same job, the employer must give it to them. Which puts you out of a job. I may be wrong in my understanding, but if thats the case, "To heck with that idea!" It my job and they shouldn't have the right just to walk in and take it away from me, just because they need a job.

[South Range Family]

Originally Posted by EarthBound?

I think our understanding of the "Right to Work State" has a gap in it. I was always told that, in a right to work state if you've been working at a company and someone comes along and says they can do the same job, the employer must give it to them. Which puts you out of a job. I may be wrong in my understanding, but if thats the case, "To heck with that idea!" It my job and they shouldn't have the right just to walk in and take it away from me, just because they need a job.

A right to work State means that if there is a union on the property, they cannot force you to join the union. Nothing more.



I work for an airline. We fall under a national contract. We are controlled by the national railway labor act, and we have language in our contract that makes us a closed shop. That means that State laws DO NOT apply to us.

All mechanics at my airline are in the union no matter what State they are working in. If they refuse to join the union, the company is obligated by contract, and Federal laws to fire them. That includes all right to work States.

Here is something else to think about. Because of the railway labor act, my contract never expires. It only becomes ammendable on certain dates. If a nursing, or teaching contract expires at midnight on a certain date, those employees have the right to an immediate strike. I do not have that right. Our contract negotiations are dragged out for years after the ammendable date. We have to go through several rounds of negotiations, and cooling off periods before we even come close to a strike. Sometimes it works to our advantage, sometimes it works to the company's advantage. It all depends on how the economy is doing at that time.

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by South Range Family

A right to work State means that if there is a union on the property, they cannot force you to join the union. Nothing more.



I work for an airline. We fall under a national contract. We are controlled by the national railway labor act, and we have language in our contract that makes us a closed shop. That means that State laws DO NOT apply to us.

All mechanics at my airline are in the union no matter what State they are working in. If they refuse to join the union, the company is obligated by contract, and Federal laws to fire them. That includes all right to work States.
Here is something else to think about. Because of the railway labor act, my contract never expires. It only becomes ammendable on certain dates. If a nursing, or teaching contract expires at midnight on a certain date, those employees have the right to an immediate strike. I do not have that right. Our contract negotiations are dragged out for years after the ammendable date. We have to go through several rounds of negotiations, and cooling off periods before we even come close to a strike. Sometimes it works to our advantage, sometimes it works to the company's advantage. It all depends on how the economy is doing at that time.

Wouldn't that be considered as "Dismissal Without Provocation" which is against the law here in Ohio, you can't just fire someone for no good reason. Thats how alot of law suites are started and won against the former employers. If the employee is a hard worker and does thier job well and is never late, you just can't fire them because they didn't join a useless union.
Look at all the air traffic controller that Reagan fired, peoples lives depended on them doing thier jobs. They didn't stay at thier screens, so they got fired, the union cause them to loose thier jobs. You don' do your job, you get fired. You do your job, you keep your job. Not a hard equation to understand. Ohio is a "Work at Will State", you make the call if you want to apply for a job at a certain place, they don't go out and drag you in and say, "Your going to here or there". We don't need the unions anymore, we have laws that protect the GOOD works, unlike the unions that protect the USELESS works, or should I say None workers".

[Crew Chief]

Earthbound, as I said before, unions are truly a mixed blessing. Yes, there are plenty of examples of slackers being protected by the union. But there are far more good folks that would be cheated, hurt on the job, or just plain worked to death by greedy employers if there were no unions. I realize you can move on if you don't like the conditions of employment at a particular employer. but if you really enjoy a particular line of work and everywhere you turn, employers treat you poorly, what do you do???

As I listen to talk radio, I hear callers whine about how UAW and other union workers are able to retire at such a young age and are on the gravy train for life. Tell you what; YOU work on an assembly line or bounce up and down the highways for 30+ years and see how broken down you are. Many employers love to hire the cheapest labor they can get to walk thru the door, use, abuse and misuse them only for as long as it makes sense to their bottom line, then spit 'em out before they get expensive. never mind that the worker hass made you rich and you can take your golden parachute and go on to destroy the workers at the next company that hires you. No, Earthbound, I don't resent any entrepreneur getting wealthy. Quite the contrary. Anyone that can start and run a successful business SHOULD enjoy the fruits of their efforts. But employers that want to get very wealthy by denying the folks that get them that way a decent living are truly without ANY scruples. And that's why we must have unions.

[South Range Family]

EarthBound
Did you miss the part where I said State laws DO NOT apply at my company?

We work under Federal laws. Just like the air traffic controllers that went on an illegal strike.