Has right to work's Pa. time come?
Matthew Wagner is director of communication and legislation for Pennsylvanians for Right to Work, an organization combating compulsory unionism in the state. Wagner spoke to the Trib regarding how Detroit's recent bankruptcy could impact right-to-work legislation in Pennsylvania.
Q: What lessons do you think Pennsylvania can learn from Detroit?
A: I think the lessons are simple. You look at the issues in Detroit — the declining population, the declining economy — those things are going on here. Our population is declining, our economy is on the decline, we are losing industry right and left. So we are on the slide. We can either continue that decline or get ahead of it, and I think it's prudent to get ahead of it.
Q: How do we do that?
A: I think one of the best ways is to look at other states that are doing well. Indiana has done things like (passing) right-to-work legislation and they are doing well now, they have an economy that's growing and they actually are returning money to taxpayers this year. Oklahoma has seen an increase in household income in the 10 years since they passed right-to-work legislation.
Q: Do you think the benefits of a right-to-work law would be equally tangible in Pennsylvania?
A: It's a no-brainer. This is something that doesn't cost taxpayers a dime. It's not like we have to spend money to make money. This is something we can do that doesn't cost anything. It would attract corporations to come here and give good wage-earning jobs to Pennsylvanians. That's what we need.
Q: Do you believe there's much support for right to work in Pennsylvania?
A: When you do a survey, 70 percent of Pennsylvanians want right to work passed, 92 percent of business owners want it. It's something that Pennsylvania wants done. It's just the union bosses — not even union members, but union bosses — who are holding it back to protect their own wallets.
Q: What benefits will union members see if right to work is approved here?
A: It would make the union bosses more accountable. They would have to listen more to their members, because the members can vote with their feet. If they don't like what the union bosses are doing — if they don't like them promoting violence, like when they are crushing people against fences as they did in Philadelphia — they can leave the union at will. They don't have that option now.
Q: How would you address perceptions that right-to-work organizations such as yours are strictly in the business of attempted union-busting?
A: That's absolutely ridiculous. You know, when you look at states like Texas that have right to work, some of those states have more unions and higher union membership than their neighboring states that are compulsory-union states. That's because unions are in some way better when they are more receptive to their members.
Q: With what happened in Detroit, do you believe now is the ideal time to get right-to-work legislation passed in Pennsylvania?
A: Oh, sure. We have great examples to follow in Oklahoma and Indiana. Michigan passing it has given us further momentum and kind of puts the squeeze on Pennsylvania. We don't want to get too far behind the eight ball with this.
Eric Heyl is a staff writer for Trib Total Media (412-320-7857 or eheyl@tribweb.com).
