The Fight Before Us: Job Safety

By John Van Hecke, Executive Director & Fellow, December 21, 2011 at 8:30 am

Workers in “right to work” states are less safe on the job than they are in Minnesota. Conservative policymakers want to change that by making Minnesota a “right to work” state. If the “right to work” constitutional amendment passes, Minnesota’s worker safety rate will plummet as job-related accidents rise because no one will advocate for workers.

Not so long ago, work place accidents and deaths were a common, expected feature of life. They were accepted as an unalterable element of the workplace. As a result, business owners faced little responsibility for worker safety. That changed as workers began organizing themselves into labor unions.

Working conditions and workplace safety became central labor issues, greater in some cases, than wages. As a result of worker organizing, Minnesota’s and America’s workplaces transformed, becoming safer and more productive. But, without workers’ organizations advocating for their safety concerns, this change wouldn’t have happened.

Conservatives want to return to an earlier, unsafe time by silencing labor’s voice.

Right to work endangers safety and health standards that protect workers on the job by weakening unions that help to ensure worker safety by fighting for tougher safety rules. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of workplace deaths is 51 percent higher in states with right to work, where unions can’t speak up on behalf of workers.

Minnesota has prospered because of organized labor. Conservative policymakers would have us believe that state prosperity happened in spite of labor’s advocacy. Now, they want to use Minnesota’s constitution to permanently weaken workers' right to organize and represent their interests. This step moves Minnesota backwards.

“Right to work” really means stripping workers of their rights. Minnesota is a strong, prosperous state because we have strong worker protections. Don’t be distracted. Conservative policy using government to limit workers rights is an aberration. Minnesota will be poorer as a result.

Posted in Economic Development | Related Topics: Union  Working / Middle Class Issues  Community Safety