While the first Labor Day was celebrated as a “workingman’s holiday” 131 years ago, today Americans in all sectors of the economy celebrate the day.
And when we are remembering the effort that has gone into improving the working conditions of Americans, let us also remember that freedom of association is important to all Americans. Unfortunately, workers in over half of the states, including Oregon, do not always possess that freedom in their workplaces.
In 24 states, all workers have the right to work for an employer whether or not they choose to join a union or pay dues for collective bargaining and related union services. Workers in Oregon and 25 other states do not yet have this freedom. But this doesn’t have to be the case.
The Public Employee Choice Act (currently known as IP9) is awaiting court approval to begin gathering signatures that will place it on the November 2014 general election ballot. Oregon voters then will have the opportunity to let public employees choose whether or not they want to be in a union or to pay union dues.
This freedom to keep your own money when you need it for your family or to keep it away from political causes you don’t support is within the reach of Oregon public employees.
Let’s take this holiday to remember that all workers deserve this opportunity to make their own decisions about whom they associate with, and where their hard-earned money goes.
Steve Buckstein is founder and Senior Policy Analyst at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization. He will be presenting more on why Oregonians deserve employee freedom at Cascade’s Northwest Employee Freedom One Night Event at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington on September 5th.
