Constitutional amendment; right to work (first reference). (HJ7)

Introduced By

Del. Dickie Bell (R-Staunton)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate

Description

Constitutional amendment (first resolution); right to work.  Provides that any agreement or combination between any employer and any labor union or labor organization whereby persons not members of such union or organization shall be denied the right to work for the employer, or whereby such membership is made a condition of employment or continuation of employment by such employer, or whereby any such union or organization acquires an employment monopoly in any enterprise, is against public policy and an illegal combination or conspiracy. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
12/21/2011Committee
12/21/2011Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/12 12101773D
12/21/2011Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections
02/14/2012Left in Privileges and Elections

Duplicate Bills

The following bills are identical to this one: SJ25.

Comments

Dan McCauley writes:

This amendment is nothing more than a sledge hammer hitting a fly. Virginia already is a right to work state with businesses holding all of the cards in employer-employee relationships. The language of this bill implies that organizing a union is similar to joining a criminal enterprise.

That Del. Bell is the sponsor suggests that he is really the stalking horse for the governor whose PAC gave bell $5,000 in political contributions.

In many states, labor is being challenged by Republican controled legislatures and governors -- Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois. Virginia has never been a strong labor union state, but his bill is a serious erosion of freedoms.

If this were to pass, labor organizations should do their best to avoid this state -- no more movies being shot here, Teamster should drive as slowly as possible through the state, the occupy protestors should stage sit ins at the National Right to Work office in Northern Virginia.

Meanwhile, Del. Bell needs to come clean on why he has sponsored this legislation two years in a row. He needs to state publicly why he hates labor unions and working people.

stephen writes:

I have to wonder what's in this bill for bell.

Waldo Jaquith writes:

I don't understand why this would go in the constitution.

Laura Dely writes:

Great insights, Dan. This is just more trash from ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. They would like to seee every state in the union become "RTW" states, and those that already are "RTW" states to pass legislation to codify that into their constitutions.
Our founders would have argued over the concept of unions, but I believe they would have upheld the right of the people to assemble and fight for their rights as a group against the power that money can and does buy.

David Wright writes:

No Laura, go back and read the text of the amendment. You have fully misunderstood what it says as well as the meaning of right-to-work legislation.

In no way does it challenge "the right of the people to assemble and fight for their rights as a group against the power". On the contrary, the whole point is to keep people from being FORCED to join unions and pay dues to corrupt union bosses as a condition of employment.

I don't know how anyone can argue that people shouldn't have the right to CHOOSE whether or not to be in a union. Remember choice? and liberty? Those are supposed to be good things. I don't care how crazily left-wing or pro-labor you are, that's just disgusting to want to take that right away from workers just to force your own beliefs on them. People should have the RIGHT TO WORK without being forced to give over their hard-earned money to corrupt political organizations they don't believe in or want to be a part of.

Greenwin Communications, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

This is just another blow to working people who need to stand together to fight for their rights to a pierce of the prosperity that they help to create by their labor. They have to be organized to do that.