Phony claims about right-to-work have nothing to do with new jobs

To the editor,

Several recent letters praise the falsely-named “right to work” legislation as if it was the cure for all our economic problems. They seem to think it’s key to providing more jobs and to boosting the state’s economy. The reality is that this is just snake oil, and the writers keep pushing the same old falsehoods. Supporters of “right to work” (rtw) hope that if they keep repeating their tired untruths often enough, people might believe them.

Despite the false claims, no one is ever forced to join a union, or to pay union dues, in any state. That’s the plain truth. And unions still have to compete for workers. Fact: the average pay in rtw states is 6 to 8-percent lower, for all workers, union and non-union. Fact: the states with the highest unemployment rates during the recession have been rtw states. Facts: studies of rtw states over the years show no gains in investment, productivity, growth rates or employment rates versus other states. More facts: New Hampshire’s growth rate and median income over the past 30 years have been higher than all but one of the 22 rtw states, our job growth was better than the average rtw state, our unemployment rate is lower than 19 of the 22 rtw states, and our poverty rate is one-half that of the rtw states’ average. There’s a good reason why rtw is called “right to work for less.”

The cheerleaders for rtw also shouldn’t be so quick to beat the drums for Texas and Gov. Rick (Let’s think about secession—just like Jefferson Davis) Perry. As of May, its unemployment rate was only 24th out of 50 states (which means: more unemployment as well as more jobs). Texas is also home to the highest percentage of minimum wage workers, its per capita income is lower than that of such “liberal” states as California, and 26-percent of Texas residents have no health insurance: the highest percentage in the nation. McDonald’s and Walmart may look good compared to no job, or as a teenager’s first job, but they’re not the type of jobs that build a strong or growing economy. They’re not the type of jobs that enable workers to raise a family, buy a home, build a nest egg, provide for retirement, or achieve the American dream.

The phony claims about rtw have nothing to do with creating jobs or jump-starting the economy. They are just a camouflage for the continuing war on America’s workers and its middle class, with the attackers using unions as a scapegoat. You should also notice that when these folks attack unions they never go after the brave men and women of our police and fire departments, who are also union workers.

Ed Allard

Laconia