Nov
2016 18
2016 18
Red Bluegrass: Prevailing Wage Repeal, “Right-to-Work” Increasingly Likely in KY Following Election
The grass may still be blue, but Kentucky is looking redder than ever. For the first time in 95 years, Republicans will outnumber Democrats in the Kentucky House of Representatives. That gives them control of the entire state legislature. In a guest post for Insider Louisville, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dave [&hellip…;
Nov
2016 16
2016 16
Questions About Labor Supply, Wages, Tax Breaks Surround Trump’s $1T Infrastructure Plan
On its face, Donald Trump’s promise to invest one trillion dollars into our nation’s crumbling infrastructure looks like a good thing. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gives the the U.S. a D+ on infrastructure and decades of underfunding have left us in serious need of an overhaul. The ASCE estimates that it [&hellip…;
Nov
2016 11
2016 11
1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back: VA’s Minor “Right-to-Work” Victory Countered by Losses in SD, AL
Right-to-work proponents scored victories in Alabama and South Dakota on Tuesday, surprising exactly no one. South Dakota rejected a ballot measure aimed at overturning the state’s “right-to-work” law, while Alabama approved a measure that enshrines the anti-union legislation in the state constitution. Elsewhere, Virginia…
Nov
2016 11
2016 11
Anti-Union Group Caught Sending Undisclosed Election Materials to Voters in WV
An anti-union group in West Virginia was caught mailing pro-Republican materials to voters without reporting the activity to the Secretary of State’s office. Election law requires the disclosure of independent political expenditures and prohibits electioneering communications between political groups: Letters obtained by the…
Nov
2016 10
2016 10
Bright Spot: On Tuesday, VA Rejected a Uniquely Oppressive Eternal “Right-to-Work” Amendment
In one of the lone bright spots for the labor community on election night, Virginia voters rejected an amendment that would have enshrined the commonwealth’s “right-to-work” status in the state constitution. Virginia has had such a law since 1947, but the ballot measure would have made the law permanent, a uniquely…
Oct
2016 12
2016 12
THIS IS NOT A TEST: VA Ballot Measure Would Make “Right-to-Work” Virtually Irreversible
Virginia has had some form of Right-to-Work law on its books since 1947. Now the Republican state legislature would like to see that anti-union language immortalized in the state constitution. The only thing standing in their way? Voters, who will have the opportunity to approve or deny the measure at the ballot box in [&hellip…;
Sep
2016 28
2016 28
Latest “Right-to-Work” Challenge Fails in WI, One Case Remains Before Court of Appeals
A Wisconsin district court judge dismissed a challenge to the state’s “Right-to-work” law this week. The suit, filed by the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Locals 139 and 420, will now move to a federal appeals court. The two unions contend that the law amounts to an illegal taking of property: The…
Aug
2016 12
2016 12
Judge Sides with WV Unions, Issues Injunction Blocking State’s New Right-to-Work Law
Six months ago West Virginia became a Right-to-work state. This week organized labor got its day in court. The AFL-CIO and 10 other union groups successfully sought an injunction to block the state’s Right-to-work law, which took effect on July 1. The law required unions to extend benefits to all workers, even those who [&hellip…;
Jul
2016 8
2016 8
WV Unions File “Right-to-Work” Lawsuit, Aim to Recreate WI Outcome, Eye SCOTUS Involvement
Labor unions in West Virginia are trying to take back what’s theirs. In Kanawha Circuit Court, 11 state labor unions have filed petitions claiming that the state’s new “Right-to-work” law amounts to an illegal seizure of their property and resources. The Workplace Freedom Act (SB1) was vetoed by Gov. Ear Ray…
Jul
2016 8
2016 8
GOP Congressional Candidate: “Right-to-work laws have no place in Pennsylvania”
In a joint op-ed for Philly.com, Republican congressional candidate Bill Pounds and union organizer Hugh Giordano warn Pennsylvanians about the perils of a pending “Right-to-work” law in the state’s House of Representatives. The proposed legislation comes on the heels of West Virginia’s April decision to become the…
May
2016 10
2016 10
WV AFL-CIO Joins Lawsuit Against “Right-to-Work”; Legal Argument Echoes Recent WI Ruling
The West Virginia AFL-CIO has announced that it will join a coalition of unions challenging the constitutionality of the state’s newly enacted “Right-to-Work” law. The lawsuit is expected to be filed in the next 30 days. Beyond debating the legality of “Right-to-Work,” known in West Virginia as the Workplace Freedom Act, the…
Apr
2016 25
2016 25
The Legal Argument Used to Overturn Wisconsin’s “Right-to-Work” Law Could Be Used Elsewhere
In a piece for In These Times, writer Shaun Richman looks at the legal argument that could overturn “Right-to-Work” laws nationwide. The argument was recently used by the Wisconsin judge who temporarily overturned the state’s “Right-to-Work” law. While that case is certain to be appealed and overturned by the state’s…