Oppose HB 448, Anti-Union “right to work” 

Raise your voice for a better Montana by testifying on this bill. Write out your comments in advance, then follow the link to sign up to testify or submit written comment

What: HB 448, A bill to establish the Anti-Union “right to work”

Position: DO NOT SUPPORT

When: Friday, February 17th @ 8:00 AM

Where: House Business and Labor – Room 172 – Sign up to testify or submit written comment

Talking Points:

• “Right-to-Work” is not the way we do things in Montana.

• These laws undermine our freedom to join together and have a meaningful voice in the workplace. Right to Work curtails our freedoms to negotiate as both employers and employees see fit.

• “Right to work” is Government Intrusion in the Workplace: RTW is the government telling workers and employers what they can and can’t bargain for. Government should stay out of private contracts and leave workers and employers alone to create a safe, stable and skilled workforce with good jobs.

• “Right to Work” HARMS the things that companies look for when expanding or relocating: Businesses want highly skilled workers. RTW laws undermine joint training and apprenticeship programs, which are self-funded by workers and our employers. RTW eliminates funding for well-respected training and apprenticeship programs that benefit business and our communities. Union workers provide stability, a streamlined way of resolving differences, a safer work environment and less turnover.

• Workers in Right-to-Work states make lowers wages, resulting in weaker local economic outcomes:

  • 16% lower wages for police officers and firefighters, 11% lower wages for construction workers, 7% lower wages for registered nurses, 5% lower wages for elementary and secondary school teachers, and 3% lower wages for manufacturing workers. In Idaho, construction workers earn almost $9,000 less per year than in Montana.

• Workers in Right-to-Work states are 54% more likely to die on the job than workers in non-Right-to-Work states.

• In recent years, private-sector job growth in Montana has outpaced that of its RTW neighbors. From 2007 to 2019, employment grew 10.1% in Montana compared with 8.6% in neighboring RTW states.

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