After many failed attempts over the years, the West Virginia Republican Party chose to add a Right to Work plank to its platform during last weekend's convention.
It did not pass without debate and it certainly will not have universal support from Republican candidates this fall. Political realities dictate that candidates in certain districts cannot support it without figuratively slitting their throat. Unions still hold tremendous influence in some areas. This usually hurts, but sometimes helps Republicans. How many union voters will support a pro-Kyoto candidate in this state?
Unions in the past provided a vital role when the decks of government and business were stacked against workers. We have come a long way from those bad old days. Government regulations provide many of the protections unions once demanded. Also the new highly skilled workers in many cases have skills that companies need.
Right to work will help union members because it creates competition. Right now workers can be coerced into joining the organization and paying dues. Under such a system, what incentive does a union have to respond effectively to its members? Right to work ensures that union members get the full benefit of membership because each worker can simply walk away or not join in the first place.
States that embraced right to work tend to have economies that have exploded past West Virginia in the past few decades. It is time that our state joined the ranks of the prosperous.
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