WAR ON WORKERS

Indiana 2011

Off the charts!

758% income rise

$35 million mean income

26%

49%

9% 11% 14%

495%income

rise

$7 million mean

income

116%97% 98% 103%

85%

Top 0.1%

Top 0.01%

Percent Increase inMean Household Income

1973-2007Source: Economic Policy Institute

Bottom20%

Second20%

Middle20%

Fourth20%

Top20%

1947-1973

Growing Wage Growing Wage Gap IN AmericaGap IN America

1947

1947

1950

1950

1960

1960

1970

1970

1980

1980

1990

1990

2000

2000

2004

2004

ProductivityProductivity WagesWages

Unionization Rate Unionization Rate 1947: 32%1947: 32%

Unionization Rate Unionization Rate 2004: 7.9%2004: 7.9%

Working harder for lessWorking harder for less

Who’s Behind This?

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

American Legislative Exchange Council; Heritage Foundation; Union Facts; National Right to Work Committee

Fox News; right-wing radio; blogs

Allies in politics, business and the media

A NATIONAL ASSAULT A NATIONAL ASSAULT Right to work state and national legislation

Restrictions on collective bargaining for public employees, educators and pensions

“Reforms” in education

Bans, restrictions or reductions to Project Labor Agreements and Common Construction Wages

Financial, environmental, trade deregulation

Attacks on the National Labor Relations Board

Where Anti-Union Legislation is Moving

Stopped all “Right to Work” bills from advancing

Beat back attempts to prohibit dues check-off

Prevented the criminalization of strikes, and state employees participating in union activities.

Stopped full scale School deregulation

Prevented “Emergency Manager” bill

Fought off all out ban on PLAs

Improved Drug Testing for UI Benefits to render disqualification rare

Major Labor Wins in 2011

EDUCATION: Public School Vouchers (limited); Expanded the number of charter schools new restrictions for teachers and school employees; Teacher Evaluations; “Special Management Teams” for public schools

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: Collective Bargaining ban; Changed State Personnel laws to render most workers “at will,” politically dependent jobs

CONSTRUCTION: Weakened Common Construction Wage Act

OTHER: 25% cut to unemployment benefits/ tax break to business; Passed law banning local Living Wage Ordinances; “Save Our Secret Ballot” passed

LEGISLATIVE LOSSES IN 2011

The Next Round?

‘Right to Work’

Union Dues VS Condo Fees

“States with RTW laws have

experienced above average

economic growth, while states without such laws have

seen below average growth.”

“States with RTW laws have

experienced above average

economic growth, while states without such laws have

seen below average growth.”

Misleading Claims

Per Capita Income Comparison

US Bureau of Economic Analysis

The average wage in a right-to-work state was about $37,200 last year, while the average wage in a state without a right-to-work law was $42,300, a difference of 14 percent.

States without right-to-work laws have higher gross domestic products. The average in the 22 right-to-work states was $220.4 billion, while the average in states without such a law was $287.7 billion, about 30 percent higher.

The Oklahoma Story

Oklahoma

RTW adopted

The Oklahoma Story

Top 10 states for high-tech companies

• Massachusetts• Washington• Maryland• New Jersey• Connecticut• Delaware• California• Virginia• Colorado• New York

RTW = A Race to the bottom

Wages for all workers are driven down

Benefits are reduced

Workplace safety suffers

Overall quality of life declines

Workers’ voices are silenced

NEXT STEPS…

Get Active

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