By
– Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said he favors states with right-to-work laws because “it is better for the people” to not have to pay union dues if they don’t want to.
“We’ve had great support from [union] workers, the people that work, the real workers, but I love the right to work,” Trump said. “I like it better because it is lower. It is better for the people. You are not paying the big fees to the unions. The unions get big fees. A lot of people don’t realize they have to pay a lot of fees. I am talking about the workers. They have to pay big fees to the union. I like it because it gives great flexibility to the people. It gives great flexibility to the companies.”
Trump made the comments in a little-noticed interview with the South Carolina Radio Network on Wednesday, three days before that state’s primary. Right-to-work laws prohibit workplace labor contracts that force workers to join a union or pay it a fee. The laws are widely believed to hobble unions by cutting off a major source of funds for them. The Palmetto State is one of 26 that have adopted such laws.
Right-to-work laws prohibit what are called “security clauses” in contracts between labor unions and employers. Unions insist on them, arguing that since federal law requires them to represent even non-members in collective bargaining, they deserve the fees. Critics such as Trump counter that they are unfair to the workers, who should get to decide for themselves whether they want to support the unions.
Source – http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-i-like-right-to-work-better/article/2583977
