Corporate attack on Minnesota unions: constitutional amendments promoting 'right to work' and restricting revenue are coming in 2012
Sunday’s New York Times editorial, “Continuing Assault on Unions,” was powerful for two reasons – first, it put the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in the spotlight as the conservative, corporate-sponsor of model “right to work” legislation, and second, the editorial stated that Republicans across the country are promoting “right to work” laws to weaken unions for supporting democratic lawmakers.
Minnesota’s GOP legislative majorities have close to 30 ALEC members. What this means is that conservative, pro-corporate, anti-middle class special interests are well represented in St. Paul, while the middle class is now relegated to minority status. With the ability for millions of dollars to flow into the state by conservative organizations and corporations, all unions will have to fight hard to preserve their existence. The Minnesota ALEC members are clever enough to know that last session, public employees’ collective bargaining rights were saved because of Governor Dayton’s veto power. So, in 2012 they have figured out a way to take him out of the equation. How? Two words: constitutional amendments.
There will be a constitutional amendment proposed this legislative session asking voters to decide whether Minnesota should become a “right to work” state. This is part of a national movement by ALEC’s corporate sponsors to weaken and eliminate their competition – labor unions. The way the amendment is written is very deceptive – it gives the impression that if you support unions you should vote for the passage of this amendment. In reality, supporting this amendment means the end of unions in Minnesota. Life under a “right to work” state means a cut in wages (an average of $5,333 annually), paying higher health care premiums, and the end of work place protections. MAPE members will become “at will” employees who can be dismissed without cause at anytime.
“Right to work” is a corporate assault on all workers. Many studies show that in “right to work” states compensation levels also drop for non-union employees as “... employers face competitive pressure to match union standards.” Corporate interest groups, like your local chamber of commerce, will claim that lower wages attract more businesses to a state. This is not true and has been refuted by a University of Notre Dame study, which states that companies look for quality in a state’s workforce, not wages as the decisive factor on determining location. The study also adds that most companies looking for low wage workers are more likely to locate in China or other countries overseas. But remember, even though we can poke holes through many of the corporate claims on “right to work” laws, GOP legislators will still parrot the ALEC corporate talking points and push to get the “right to work” amendment on the 2012 ballot.
There is a second amendment that ALEC is promoting in Minnesota that will harm our quality of life in and threaten our public employee workforce. It’s called the “super-majority amendment,” and what it does is require a 60 percent super-majority in the Legislature to raise taxes. Currently, a simple majority is needed for a revenue increase. State Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) was chief sponsor of the bill along with House Speaker Kurt Zellers and state Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer. It is important to note these representatives are all ALEC members and the language of their bill is strikingly similar to model legislation that ALEC produced for its membership.
The goal of revenue limiting amendments is to shrink government. The super-majority amendment fits this requirement. This amendment will allow GOP extremists to control the debate about whether or not to raise taxes, whether they are in the majority or the minority. The net effect will be a permanent state of “no new taxes.” At first, people might like this, but if you study the consequences, it is not good for Minnesotans. First, vital state services that all Minnesotans rely on will start to disappear. Second, paying for government will shift from income taxes to property taxes and fees – both very regressive taxes that hurt the middle class. Don’t be fooled, the GOP legislators who are in the pocket of corporate interests are not telling you the truth when they claim “no new taxes.”
The super-majority amendment will transfer paying for many government services to local municipalities. The local tax property tax burden will increase to cover the costs of schools, firefighters, sewer, water and road repair as well as other public safety needs. The revenue limiting amendment in Colorado is now seen as a failed policy measure by republicans as well as business leaders who are now suing to repeal their constitutional amendment. With such a shining example of Colorado’s failure, why would we want to amend our constitution with a failed experiment that lowers the quality of life for our citizens?
2012 will be a pivotal year for the survival of Minnesota unions and our quality of life. It won’t be easy, but we can fight back against national corporate interests. By getting involved, staying informed and taking action, we can stop corporate greed from ruining the middle class in our state. The time to start is now.
