by Jordan Maynor
In the years since West Virginia adopted right-to-work legislation, our state has witnessed a staggering influx of more than $12 billion in new business investments. This law undeniably has ushered in an era of unprecedented growth, luring companies that may not previously have considered us. Job opportunities have reached record levels, with fresh business ventures consistently making their mark on our state.
Right-to-work is pivotal because it empowers workers to control their own destinies. They possess the freedom to join a union, but only if they choose to do so. This newfound freedom resonates strongly with the global business community.
Regrettably, an unsettling trend threatens the freedoms of workers, and I am appealing to Sen. Joe Manchin to take a stand against it.
This ominous trend goes by the name of “neutrality agreements,” which essentially require employers to remain mute during union organizing efforts. As defined by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, neutrality agreements prohibit employers from providing factual information to workers to counteract false or misleading claims made by the union. And the Biden administration and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) increasingly are relying on forced neutrality agreements in an attempt to boost union membership.
In an August report by the Treasury Department on the alleged benefits of unions, the Department stated it, “will continue to explore changes to the tax code to discourage anti-union campaigning and/or encourage employer neutrality/non-interference in organizing campaigns.”
Make no mistake, these agreements infringe on the rights of both employers and workers. Employers are stripped of their long-established free speech rights, safeguarded by Congress and the courts for nearly a century. Workers, on the other hand, lose their right to access all relevant information when considering union membership. How can they make an informed choice if they only hear one side of the story?
Furthermore, neutrality agreements often strip workers of their right to a confidential ballot. They frequently are coupled with a card-check system for union elections, replacing the traditional NLRB-supervised secret ballots with an open petition process that subjects workers to threats and intimidation.
Neutrality agreements are sometimes thrust upon business owners through a strategy known as union corporate campaigns. These coercive tactics involve unions leveraging customers, business peers, elected officials and even the media to pressure employers into compliance.
West Virginia’s flourishing economy is built on the foundation of workplace democracy, which emphasizes employer rights and worker freedoms. Manchin should lead the charge in safeguarding our prosperity, standing resolutely against all threats, including neutrality agreements.
