10.12.2005
Recently won gains...
I just learned that federal workers only gained collective bargaining rights in 1978!! (thanks to the Federal Labor Relations Act). Prior to that, only postal employees had collective bargaining rights, which they won through an illegal strike in 1970.
And what about state workers, you ask? Well, I am looking at a report from 1998 that says only 26 states guarantee collective bargaining rights to state workers. The number is even lower today, as Republican governors keep cutting workers' rights at every turn. Almost immediately after taking office Matt Blunt of Missouri and Mitch Daniels cut their state workers rights to bargain collectively. Ernie Fletcher cut these rights for Kentucky state workers. I have to admit that I took public sector bargaining rights for granted... how much more wrong could I have been!?
And what about state workers, you ask? Well, I am looking at a report from 1998 that says only 26 states guarantee collective bargaining rights to state workers. The number is even lower today, as Republican governors keep cutting workers' rights at every turn. Almost immediately after taking office Matt Blunt of Missouri and Mitch Daniels cut their state workers rights to bargain collectively. Ernie Fletcher cut these rights for Kentucky state workers. I have to admit that I took public sector bargaining rights for granted... how much more wrong could I have been!?
