[Vision2020] Love for Police

[nickgier at adelphia.net]

Greetings:

I should be packing for my river trip, but here are the facts about right-to-work states.

In an article "The Wage Penalty of 'Right-to-Work' Laws" published by the Economic Policy Institute, Lawrence Mishel found that "the mean effect of working in a right-to-work state results in a 6% to 8% reduction in wages for workers in these states."

Copied from www.fairwage.org. Idaho stats at the end.

Workers in Right to Work states earn on average $3,500 - $5,300 a year less than workers in free bargaining states.

Only one Right to Work state out of 22 has per capita personal income above the national average.

Of the 15 states with the highest average hourly earnings for manufacturing workers 14 or 93% are free bargaining states.

Workers with health care coverage in free states is 23% higher than Right to Work states.

Unemployment benefits are 20% more in free bargaining states.

Workers compensation benefits for injured workers in Right to Work states are 20% less than free states.

The rate of workplace death is 51% higher in Right to Work states.

Right to Work states spend $1,699 less on elementary and secondary students than free bargaining states.

The average worker in Idaho earns about $5,655 less a year than workers in other states  (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept of Commerce 2003)    

During the past five years the average loss in Idaho per capita income has been $5,655 per year. So, in the 18 years since "Right to Work' passed in Idaho, each person has earned $101,790 less than the national average. Each person has lost more than 4 years of income based on Idaho average income of $25,057 in 2002

Idaho ranks 46th in earnings in the US.

Persons living below the poverty level in Idaho have increased 33% from 1990 to 1998.

Idaho dropped from the 5th most livable state in 1991 to 20th in 2003

In addition to the economic impacts of Right to Work, it has spawned an anti-worker environment in Idaho. This has resulted in the following rules taken out of the Idaho Department of Labor Wage and Hour Section. Idaho Law Does Not Require:
a.  Vacation, holiday, severance, or sick pay
b.  A discharge notice or reason for discharge
c.  Rest periods, breaks, lunch breaks, holidays off, or vacations
d.  Premium pay for weekends or holidays worked
e.  Pay raises or fringe benefits
f.  A limit on the number of hours an employee can work per day or week for those 16 years of 
    age or older

Nick Gier, President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO