| By Richard Myers - Oct 7th, 2008 at 2:11 pm EDT |
In 1961 Martin Luther King, Jr., addressed the very issue that Colorado voters will consider when they go to the polls on November 4. In 1961 (and by its proponents ever since), it was referred to as "right to work." Today we call it simply "work for less."
In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 'right to work.' It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights. It is supported by Southern segregationists who are trying to keep us from achieving our civil rights and our right of equal job opportunity. Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone…Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights. We do not intend to let them do this to us. We demand this fraud be stopped. Our weapon is our vote.
As we contemplate going to the polls this election, we must keep in mind that the longterm right wing agenda to drive down wages hasn't ended. Indeed, the proponents of Work For Less laws have crafted a constitutional change for Colorado that would throw people into jail for doing exactly what we (business owners and working people) do in Colorado every day.
Consider this analysis from the Rocky Mountain News:
Amendment 47: Prohibition on Certain Conditions of Employment ... The amendment imposes a new misdemeanor offense that may increase the number of people incarcerated in county jail.
http://cfapp2.rockymountainnews.com/election/profiles/i_profile.cfm?id=17178
The offense that would be created is precisely the practice that occurs every day under today's laws -- when working people receive the benefit of representation by unions in their workplace, they pay a nominal fee (either membership dues, or a generally lesser fee in lieu of) in order to pay for those services.
Amendment 47 would send people to jail if they were to act on the principle that you get what you pay for. Amendment 47 is backed by a few idealogues in the business community. It is aimed at destroying unions in order to increase profits. Don't we already have enough downward pressure on wages?
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