The Elephant in the Room

Right-to-work laws in 28 states have given workers the freedom to decide for themselves whether union membership is right for them.

Union representation as a percentage of the total workforce across the U.S. has been dropping for more than twenty years. Union membership went from 13.3% in 2002 down to 10.1% in 2022. That downward trend was similar in both the private sector and public sector workforces.

There could be many reasons for this downward trend. Unions may no longer be providing the service or support the membership wants or needs. Those services may be available elsewhere on better terms or they may no longer be required. Changes in regulations have resulted in overall improvements in the workplace, many workers' rights are now protected by legislation, alternatives are available for affordable healthcare coverage, and growing dissatisfaction with union leadership all contribute to this decline.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

Unions are having difficulty attracting new members and have increasingly turned to governments for help. Unions reportedly spent more than $250 million in the 2022 election campaigns, presumably with the expectation of favorable government support for union activities.

One example of that support could be the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule (RIN:1218-AD45) dealing with union involvement in facility inspections conducted by OSHA Compliance Officers. This issue centers on who has the right to accompany OSHA Compliance Officers on these facility inspections.

Unions want a person affiliated with a union or a community organization included in the inspection, even if the inspection is in a non-union shop. The proposed rule enables this. Management at union-free facilities see this as an under-the-table attempt to promote unionization of their facilities and fear even more sinister motives from the inclusion of a community organization representative.

In another example, the General Services Administration (GSA) made a change in September 2022 to Federal Management Regulation § 102-74.410 which prohibits soliciting, vending merchandise, and posting or distributing materials in or on properties or facilities under GSA jurisdiction throughout the U.S. The GSA added the following exclusion to the prohibition clause.

(d) Labor organizations representing or seeking to represent contractors working in Federal Government facilities. 

This simple change demonstrates government support for union organizers focused on “educating” employees of private sector contractors working in these federal government facilities about the benefits of union membership.

The difference between a political campaign and a union enrollment drive is???

Our elected representatives ought to be setting the direction for our nation and assuring the rules are aligned accordingly. Rulemaking by bureaucrats tucked away in the many corners of Washington is unacceptable and must be changed.

If our representatives can’t or won’t do this on their own, then we need to show them how to do it.

THE WAY FORWARD

Our constitution provides a way to regain control over this bloated and unresponsive federal bureaucracy. Article V allows the state legislatures to call for a convention of states to propose amendments to the constitution, amendments designed to rein in the excessive power and breadth of our federal government. 

You can support these efforts by getting involved with the Convention of States, an organization dedicated to reigning in the excesses of the Federal government by imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the powers and jurisdictions of the federal government and its agencies, and imposing term limits on government officials and members of Congress.

Learn more about this at the Convention of States website. Take action by signing the petition. Get involved. Volunteer your time and talent as part of America's largest grassroots army.

Let’s continue to build momentum and rally against the cancerous growth of our federal government and the resulting insidious erosion of our basic rights and freedoms.