Delaware House passes bill stalling the state’s anti-labor movement
(PR NewsChannel) / June 26, 2018 / DOVER, Del.
Last week, Delaware legislators passed a pivotal bill stopping the state GOP’s Right to Work movement in its tracks.
Approved by a vote of 25-13 along party lines, the Delaware House voted to guarantee the right of private employers to enter into labor deals that require their employees to join a union. The bill effectively blocks the GOP effort to pass the controversial legislation on a county-by-county or town-by-town basis.
“The Governor strongly believes that one of the best ways to stand up for Delaware’s workers is to protect their right to organize, earn a good living and support their families,” said Jon Starkey, spokesman for Gov. John Carney.
Labor supporters agree, citing the number of states suffering under Right to Work as reason why legislators in Delaware made the right decision.
“Implementing Right to Work is attempting to put out a fire with gasoline,” said Richard Dalton, business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18 in Ohio. “Business owners will prosper while workers remain unchanged, possibly even worse off than before.”
Studies conducted over the last decade have repeatedly shown Right to Work to have little impact on a state’s economy.
In 2011, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) conducted a multi-part study. Their first major finding was that, on average, full-time workers in Right to Work states earned 3.1% less than those in unionized states. That same year, New Hampshire and Indiana’s legislature considered implementing a new law. Indiana passed Right to Work while New Hampshire didn’t receive enough support. Although New Hampshire’s economy was stronger from the start, Right to Work did nothing to close the performance gap with Indiana.
A study in 2017 expanded upon EPI’s research to find that Right to Work harms job growth and union performance as well.