Coalition of companies, workers forms to fight right-to-work-for-LESS bill

Coalition of companies, workers forms to fight right-to-work-for-LESS bill http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/coalition-of-unions-workers-forms-to-fight-right-to-work-bill-b99410819z1-286117621.html … #wipolitics #wiunion #Wisconsin #uniteblue




Coalition of unions, workers forms to fight right-to-work bill

By NewsHub @newshub

The businesses that make roads and buildings around the state said they oppose a proposal that would prohibit them from reaching contracts with unions to require their workers to pay labor dues.
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Coalition of companies, workers forms to fight right-to-work bill
By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 17, 2014

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Madison — Some 300 construction and contracting businesses Wednesday joined their workers' unions in opposing so-called right-to-work legislation.

The businesses that make roads and buildings around the state said they oppose a proposal that would prohibit them from reaching contracts with unions to require their workers to pay labor dues.

The formation of the Wisconsin Contractor Coalition highlights a split in the business community in the state, where manufacturers appear poised to push the labor measure through the Legislature and builders and unions are scrambling to try to stop it.

Steve Lyons, a consultant serving as the coalition's spokesman, said the group had gathered members in a matter of days as it became clear that momentum is building to pass the union proposal in the Republican-dominated Legislature. More are joining, he said.

"In 10 days, 300 private businesses have said we don't want right-to-work," Lyons said.

The reason, he said, is that unions act in some ways like staffing agencies for construction businesses, providing training to workers, screening them for drugs and ensuring that enough of them will show up to work when a contractor wins a bid on a project and needs workers to carry it out.

Companies in the coalition include Miron Construction Co. Inc. of Middleton, Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc. of Plain, and Riley Construction Co. of Kenosha......