Steven JP Dionne: Workers should have rights equal to those of corporate America

To The Daily Sun,

I read the other day comments seemingly presented in true spirit of Trumpsonian rhetoric, expressing the concern regarding Maggie Hassan’s support of the PRO Act as anti-business. I suppose any discussion regarding the validity of certain labor laws must be prefaced with the acknowledgment that New Hampshire is a "Right to Work" state. The name of the bill is a disingenuous attempt to hide what some would define as a union busting and compensatory crushing bit of archaic legislation. A stalwart champion of the New Hampshire working class, Sen. Jeb Bradley defended the bill back in 2021, stating the legislation, "will make New Hampshire more competitive and attractive to grow and locate a business". Really, sorry Jeb once again your prognostication was completely off-base. You see from the period of Jan. 2021 to Jan. 2022 new business applications in NH ranked 46th in the nation. But take heart, I’m certain all those business owners on the north side of the lake appreciate you ensuring the labor voice is diminished.

This brings us around to the PRO Act, which at its core guarantees worker rights to organize and unlike the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, the PRO Act provides for significant monetary penalties for businesses who violate worker’s rights. Just so we understand how difficult it has been for businesses and the wealthy over recent history, in the period from 1974 to 2017 the average working family has seen an increase of income of 1.1%. At the same time businesses and the wealthy have realized an economic expansion of 180%. When economist talk of "flat-lining" they are referring to labor wages and certainly not business profits.

I’m very fortunate, the COVID economic depression has had little to no effect on my family. Nonetheless I will not lose focus on those families that have been crushed by the occurrences of the past three years. Further to the point, if the survival of a business is dependent on the economic suppression of a facet of the market, how then is America a free-market economy?

If your business venture survival is dependent on the suppression of the working-class’s compensatory packages, it’s defined as vassalage... find another income stream.

Stop complaining when the workers want equal rights, equivalent to corporate America.

Steven JP Dionne

Laconia