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Labor unions: ‘Right to work’ is unconstitutional… like ‘slavery’

Apr. 23, 2012 5:21pm

Only in the twisted mind of Big Labor would having the right to work without being forced into a union be akin to slave labor:

In a lawsuit against three Indiana government officials, a labor union alleged on Wednesday that its constitutional rights under the Thirteenth Amendment— which outlawed “slavery” and “involuntary servitude” — are violated whenever its members are forced to work alongside nonunion employees.

The International Union of Operating Engineers, whose members work as heavy equipment operators, mechanics and construction surveyors, sued Indiana’s governor, attorney general, and labor commissioner in February, alleging that the state’s “right to work” law is unconstitutional.

Indiana’s law prohibits employers from making union membership a condition of getting or keeping a job. The union’s February lawsuit claimed the law violated its members’ Fourteenth Amendment guarantee of “equal protection” under the law.

But an amended complaint filed on Wednesday added a Thirteenth Amendment claim as well. The new lawsuit suggests that when nonunion employees earn higher salaries and better benefits because of the union’s negotiation on behalf of its members, the union has been forced to work for those nonunion employees for free.

And being forced to work without compensation, the union suggested in its revised lawsuit, is slavery.

…because being forced into a union against your will is freedom?

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Comments (11)

  • Phil_EngAmer
    Posted on April 24, 2012 at 9:57pm

    This is kind of ridiculous. It’s pretty clear that the worry stems from a lack of lobbying money that RTW legislation would prevent the unions from getting. In recent elections upwards of 37% of union members voted against the party their unions gave all their lobbying support to (http://nyti.ms/uO8Ww7). It’s pretty clear this is motivated by partisan politics, and not by what is best for actual workers in the state.

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    Phil_EngAmer  
  • thx1138v2
    Posted on April 24, 2012 at 7:55am

    Of course the union isn’t FORCED to work at all. They can just quit representing employees if they feel they are being abused. That’s what I suggest.

    Report this comment

    thx1138v2  
  • drphil69
    Posted on April 23, 2012 at 10:05pm

    ROTFLMAO – just can’t make this stuff up! So much like Atlas Shrugged. I hope obummer decides to chime in on this one…

    Report this comment

    drphil69  
  • heartbun
    Posted on April 23, 2012 at 9:41pm

    So… does that make interns slaves? Is a “free” estimate a form of slavery now? What a joke. Silly argument since they ARE getting paid, just not by some employees. I thought slaves were OWNED. Dumbest argument yet. Way to waste time and MONEY.

    Report this comment

    heartbun  
  • psadie
    Posted on April 23, 2012 at 9:29pm

    Do you think that Big Labor is terrified that “right to work” is becoming the norm with the regular American worker? I would love to see “right to work” on the ballot for November because most Americans would vote for it, plain and simple. Then the unions would be finished once and for all. Maybe they could go to China and start unions there. That would be a sight to see.

    Report this comment

    psadie  
  • spirited
    Posted on April 23, 2012 at 6:12pm

    S.J. Res. 36, a Joint Resolution of Disapproval, would stop these new “ambush” election rules — the latest backdoor scheme by the Obama Labor Board to undermine Congressional authority and grant Big Labor the power it sought from the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill.
    Sheila W

    ~~~ALSO~~~
    The U Visa Program represents bad immigration policy:
    •Although Congress created the U visa to help victims of domestic violence, the program is actually a path to citizenship for virtually anyone who applies.
    •Illegal aliens are eligible for U visas, and once obtained, they may remain in the country for four years at a time, receive work authorization, and become eligible for a green card after three years!
    •There is no limit to the number of derivative visas that may be issued to qualifying family members of a U visa holder.
    •Once a U visa application is approved, work authorization is granted automatically to the alien and his or her qualifying family.
    •Even family members in deportation proceedings or with final orders of removal are eligible for legal status under the program.
    •The U visa program is unnecessary: USCIS already has authority to grant temporary legal status through humanitarian parole or deferred action to alien victims who help prosecute their assailants.
    ~>Call your Senators NOW and urge them to support the Hutchison-Grassley alternative to S.1925.
    FAIR Alerts

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    spirited  
  • Soquel by the Creek
    Posted on April 23, 2012 at 6:00pm

    I wonder what the First Amendment and the implied right to “free association” says about forced union membership.

    Allow me to quote the First Amendment with my emphasis added.

    “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, or of the press; or the RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

    Either people have the right NOT to be a conscripted member of a union or the state has the power to ban public-employee unions. Unions cannot have it both ways. Personally, I believe that people DO have the right NOT to be in a state-mandated union and that public-employee unions DO have the right to organize but only if the members are voluntary. I also believe that it is illegal for the state to collect union dues on behalf of a public-sector union.

    I am voluntarily a member of union. It is not required as a condition of employment nor does my employer collect dues on behalf of the union. I pay dues voluntarily of my own accord. Should the union no longer represent my interests, I will stop paying dues. I have power over the union that my coworkers in public-sector unions do not have. Public-sector employees are indeed slaves, but slaves to their pimps in state-mandated unions.

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    Soquel by the Creek  
  • fixmfast
    Posted on April 23, 2012 at 5:43pm

    These unions make me sick. I live near Mansfield, OH where the union went on strike over a $20 payment on their medical coverage. That plant is now mostly torn down and employs about 15% of the people it used to. Over $20. Most of those people were making over $20 an hour and they complain because they had to pay an extra $20 a month for their health care programs. Now most of them are lucky to have a job that pays $8 an hour with little or no benefits—and they blame AK Steel for their lot, when they allowed the union reps to act on their behalf. On a side note, all of the union reps still have their jobs, so who actually lost in that whole mess? The workers, the local and state governments (tax revenue that is no longer their).
    BTW- It’s a “right to work” state not “obligated to work” state, so where’s the slavery?

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    fixmfast  
  • carpee
    Posted on April 23, 2012 at 5:38pm

    The 13th amendment applies to the individual, not a collective.

    Report this comment

    carpee  

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