UNIONS

My personal views on the federal government are of a rather limited set of responsibilities. Among those responsibilities are enforcing property rights, enforcing the rule of law (including contracts), and seeing to the safety and security of its citizens.

The Employee Free Choice Act is a horrible piece of legislation that I might go into more depth to in the future. Its purpose, though, is to drastically increase the power of unions. Because I am a believer in contracts, I *have* to be a believer in unions. The following is my simplistic view of unionized labor.

Laborers have the most power when the supply of labor is constrained. Skilled factory workers in a small town would have much more power and incentive to unionize than unskilled (easily replaceable) labor where there is excess supply. I see unions as a contract between all laborers who sign into it. The laborer agrees to pay dues to the union which will elect representatives to negotiate better wages and conditions from their employers. I am also a strong believer in Right to Work. No laborer should ever be forced into this unionization contract. It is the choice of the laborer whether to sign on to a union contract or a direct labor contract with the employer.

Employers should be under no circumstance required to negotiate with union representatives (unless there has been a previously signed contract to do so). If it is in the employer's best interest to do so, they can choose to negotiate and set forth a labor contract with the members of the union. If it is not in the employer's best interest, there should be no reason the employer should not be able to fire all workers who have breached the original terms of their employment by striking. Now I am not saying that employers should be able to fire any worker who talks unionization. What I am saying, is that if during the course of unionization, an employee breaches the terms of their employment then they can be subject to termination.

That's it. That should be the extent of union labor law (or lack of law) in this country. As long as our country sets strong regulations to ensure the safety of workers and ensure workers are not discriminated against, I do not see a place for unions at all. But as I stated before, my beliefs in contracts make me accept their existence.