Illinois governor’s ‘right to work’ a union-busting ploy Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has waged an attack on public employee unions that serves as a warning to unionized public employees across the country. Rauner recently issued an executive order that strikes down “fair share” or agency fees for public employees represented by unions. Appealing to the “right-to-work” movement, and its extremely wealthy backers, Rauner has set a dangerous precedent in threatening workplace fairness. In most states where public employees are represented by a union, the unions have fought for and won the ability to collect fees from employees working in a unionized workplace who do not belong to the union, out of political objections or other reasons. The underlying principle of these laws is that union objectors benefit from the pay scales, insurance plans, pensions and other benefits that the union negotiates with the employer. Having employees who don’t pay their “fair share” to support the union that benefits them is considered unfair, at least by most reasoned people. But not by Gov. Rauner, who made millions running a private equity firm before running for office. In fact, Rauner is rich enough meet Illinois’ minimum limits for self-funding his own campaign, allowing him to skirt campaign finance laws and rake in huge campaign donations from single donors. One donor has given Rauner more than $3 million. It’s bad enough that the super wealthy 1 percent are behind efforts to strip workers of hard-won rights and wages that support middle class lifestyles. What’s worse is that they are now buying their way into political office, where they can further consolidate their power and wealth. “Bruce Rauner’s scheme to strip the rights of state workers and weaken their unions by executive order is a blatantly illegal abuse of power,” AFSCME Council 31 Director Roberta Lynch said. “Perhaps as a private equity CEO Rauner was accustomed to ignoring legal and ethical standards, but Illinois is still a democracy and its laws have meaning. … Our union and all organized labor will stand together with those who believe in democracy to overturn Bruce Rauner’s illegal action and restore the integrity of the rule of law.” Illinois’ Rauner is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with the United States when it comes to a fair playing field for workers. Hopefully, public employee unions in Illinois will seize the opportunity to oust Rauner from office, despite his obnoxiously large campaign fund, and right the wrongs he is committing. March 2015 The Work Force 5
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