Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Big Labor Flexes Its Muscles in a Small State
National Review ^ | October 17, 2026 | George Leef

Posted on 10/19/2026 3:41:19 AM PDT by karpov

Labor unions are all about two things: money and control. The problem is that they go about achieving their aims through coercive means, often political, sometimes violence.

In New York, for example, the union bigwigs have contrived to get their allies in the legislature to enact a bill designed to keep workers from learning about their right to opt out of paying dues to public-sector unions under the Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus v. AFSCME decision. I discussed that bit of skullduggery here.

In Vermont, the same political alliance has placed on the ballot a proposed amendment to the state constitution, a Right to Collective Bargaining amendment. If enacted, the state legislature would be forbidden from passing any law that “interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to collectively bargain with respect to wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment and workplace safety.”

Does Big Labor have anything to worry about in Vermont? It is not a Right to Work state and has embraced public-sector collective bargaining, but what if enough residents came to realize that they would be better off with worker freedom of choice and without the added tax burdens that public unionism entails? Even if they did, the state constitution would stand in the way.

(A Right to Work statute does not, in fact, interfere with collective bargaining, but you never know how a court might rule.)

But even in a “progressive” state where the voters like Bernie Sanders, compulsory unionism skates on thin ice. If people start to think seriously about the consequences rather than the glittering rhetoric, they might sour on Big Labor’s project.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: unions

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.


1 posted on 10/19/2026 3:41:19 AM PDT by karpov
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: karpov

Unions killed Detroit. Prove me wrong.


2 posted on 10/19/2026 3:52:06 AM PDT by EandH Dad (sleeping giants wake up REALLY grumpy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: karpov

The problem with unions is they don’t represent the interests or workers.


3 posted on 10/19/2026 4:02:49 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: karpov

The problem with unions is they don’t represent the interests or workers.


4 posted on 10/19/2026 4:03:35 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson