International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Urges “No” Vote on Right-to-Work Bill
March 13, 2012
The International Association of EMTs and Paramedics, which represents EMS professionals with Allina Hospitals and Clinics based in St. Paul, is urging legislators to reject a bill that would turn Minnesota into a so-called “right-to-work” state.
“Proponents will try to tell you that right-to-work makes everything better, but all it does is to promote the race to the bottom,” said Philip Petit, national director for the IAEP. “Workers in states with right-to-work laws earn an average of $5,500 a year less than workers in states without those laws, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Minnesota’s Senate Judiciary Committee has passed the Republican-sponsored bill. If the bill is passed by both chambers of Minnesota’s legislature, voters would see a ballot question in November asking them if membership in private and public unions should be voluntary. Current state law does not require membership, but stipulates that non-union members contribute a “fair share” fee towards the cost of union representation.
“Minnesota’s had much lower unemployment than a lot of other states during the recession, so why do we need to tamper with something that’s working well?” asked Brett Hopper, president of the local, representing over 300 workers, and a member of the IAEP national executive board.
“Our members get to have a strong say in the workplace, and that helps us build a stable workforce,” said Hopper. “Workers who have stable jobs with decent pay bring more money and stability into their own communities. If we let a bunch of politicians undercut that, we’re hurting our own communities.”
The bill would have to survive votes in the House and Senate to go on November’s ballot, but it is unclear at this point if there is sufficient support in both chambers to advance the bill.