I am pretty perplexed at what happened yesterday in the House of Delegates related to the bill introduced to give public employee the right to collectively bargain. Though I only represent Union employees in the private sector, I can’t believe the bums in Richmond are so ignorant to equate the granting of barganing rights with the abolition of the State’s horrific right-to-work law - these are entirely separate animals. The RTW law applies to individuals, and allows workers to avoid paying dues to their Unions (though the Unions still have an absolute duty to represent the freeloaders as if they were regular dues payers).
The bill contemplated yesterday only permits our honorable public employees to have the ability to collectively bargaining for better wages and benefits. This “right” comports with the ILO, and what every other developed country permits. This has NOTHING to do with our RTW law, and the Post should be embarrassed to fall for such poor reporting.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012403144.html?hpid=topnews
In any event, I would have liked to see who labor’s friends are in the Democratic party, and I wish that a vote took place. I don’t see any shame for supporting teachers, fight fighters, police, and other dedicated career public servants; I only see shame in weak politicians. This is nuts.