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Bureau of Labor Education

Organized Labor

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Right-To-Work:' The Issue That Won't Die — A Historical Perspective, Charles A. Scontras Jun 2015

Right-To-Work:' The Issue That Won't Die — A Historical Perspective, Charles A. Scontras

Bureau of Labor Education

Phoenix-like, "right-to-work" measures have again surfaced in the state Legislature. Such measures are designed to prohibit employers from negotiating union security clauses by which all who benefit from union bargaining agreements pay their share of the costs involved in the union's legal obligation to represent all workers.


What You Should Know About "Right To Work" Laws, 2013 Update, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine Mar 2013

What You Should Know About "Right To Work" Laws, 2013 Update, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine

Bureau of Labor Education

This is a brief 2013 update to the Bureau of Labor Education’s (BLE) 2011 briefing paper, “The Truth about ‘Right to Work’ Laws.” As documented in the 2011 BLE paper, the term “right-to-work” is highly misleading, and many studies have shown that RTW laws are not helpful to the well-being of working people. “Right-to-work” does not protect against unfair firing, or promote equitable wages and decent working conditions. By undermining unions and the ability of labor and management to bargain freely, right-to-work laws weaken the ability of workers to protect their rights through a union contract. There are two major …


Maine Lobster Fishermen Had Early Brush With Organized Labor, Charles A. Scontras Sep 2012

Maine Lobster Fishermen Had Early Brush With Organized Labor, Charles A. Scontras

Bureau of Labor Education

In the current effort of Maine lobster fishermen to maintain and enhance their interest, John Drouin, a Cutler lobsterman and vice chairman of the Maine Lobster Advisory Council — a group of fishermen and dealers who work with the Department of Marine Resources to protect the industry — noted that Maine lobstermen operate as independent business owners, compared with Canadian lobster fishermen, who are represented by unions and thus exert greater influence against the processors. “Until the day comes when we become unionized or one big co-op, we are just 5,000 individuals,” Drouin said.


Oklahoma, Maine, Migration And The "Right To Work:" A Confused And Misleading Analysis, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine Apr 2012

Oklahoma, Maine, Migration And The "Right To Work:" A Confused And Misleading Analysis, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine

Bureau of Labor Education

The recent article released by the Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC), “The Case for Right-to-Work in Maine: Examining the Evidence in Oklahoma” (1/23/2012), attempts to make a case for the supposed benefits of a right-to-work (RTW) law in Maine, by discussing the case of Oklahoma’s RTW law, and then presenting a number of statistics on migration to Oklahoma, and from Maine to RTW states. However, a closer examination of this report reveals that it is based on highly questionable and misleading assumptions, and its assertions are based on incomplete data.


The Truth About "Right To Work" Laws, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine Jan 2011

The Truth About "Right To Work" Laws, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine

Bureau of Labor Education

There are many misconceptions about “right-to-work” laws. This sounds like it would be a plus for working people. However, this term is misleading, and a distortion of the reality underlying it. Despite its name, right-to-work laws do not guarantee anyone a job, protect against unfair firing, guarantee equitable wages, or decent working conditions. By undermining unions and the ability of labor and management to bargain freely, right-to-work laws weaken the best job security protection workers have -- the union contract. Maine has rejected such a law a number of times in the past, including a 1948 referendum in which state …


Restoring The Right To Organize: Impacts Of The Employee Free Choice Act, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine Oct 2008

Restoring The Right To Organize: Impacts Of The Employee Free Choice Act, Bureau Of Labor Education. University Of Maine

Bureau of Labor Education

There has been growing controversy over a proposed new labor relations law called the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), also known as the “card check” bill. This briefing paper provides an overview of the Employee Free Choice Act, its context and rationale, and its implications for both workers’ abilities to organize and democratic rights in the workplace.