Dean would allow the abolishment of the 14b provision of Taft-Hartley Act

[a_lil_wall_fly]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/1000254.asp

Presidential candidate Dr. Howard Dean has stated, on Chris Matthews--Hardball Battle for the White House; that if a piece of legislation that has the removal of the provision of Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 (Section 14b--permits individual states to enact their own Right To Work laws.) He would sign it. Thou he would not initiate any form of legislation of this nature.
This would take a couple of senators that are very pro-Union and start this piece of legislation. Then Dean would trample on the states right to have a choice of all unionized shops or not. Dean got caught saying yes then no on the right to work and if it was right too allow such an issue. But since he has two of the largest unions supporting him. This too me is a very double-edged statement.

beginning of snippet:

MATTHEWS: Do you protect-do you protect the right of the person to go work somewhere and not have to join a union? Do you accept the right of right-to-work states to say you don’t have to join a union.
Dick Gephardt sat here and came out and said he was going to say no more right to work and we get rid of 14B, get rid of Taft-Hartley, repeal that, and force people to have to join unions, where they’re organized.
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: Would you go along with that? Would you buckle to the unions on that?
DEAN: Would I buckle to the unions?
MATTHEWS: Yes, because the unions want you to do it.
DEAN: This isn’t a values-loaded question, by any chance, is it?
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
MATTHEWS: Well, let me ask it-let me ask it totally open. Do you think a person has a right to work somewhere if they don’t want to join a union?
DEAN: I do.
No, wait a minute. I don’t.
(LAUGHTER)
MATTHEWS: Why not? What’s wrong with an open shop where you can...
DEAN: I’ll tell you what’s the matter with it. Here is the problem with open-and, look, there’s obviously arguments to be made on...
MATTHEWS: A lot of states have right-to-work laws. You would get rid of them?
DEAN: I don’t like-well, I very much believe that states ought to have the right to recognize-to organize their own laws. So I’m not likely as president to-even though I don’t like right-to-work laws, I’m unlikely to order states to change them.
MATTHEWS: So you wouldn’t repeal 14B?
DEAN: No, I would not, but...
MATTHEWS: So you are different than Gephardt. He is with the unions.
You are not.
(LAUGHTER)
MATTHEWS: I’m serious.
DEAN: All right...
MATTHEWS: I hate it. It’s called HARDBALL. This isn’t “Success” magazine, OK?
(APPLAUSE)
DEAN: Let me tell you what-I actually believe in card check. I believe you shouldn’t have to have an election, that people who want to join a union should just be able to sign a card and join it. Let me tell you where I am on...
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: You are against-you do not believe in repealing 14B?
You’re not going to accept the challenge from Gephardt to do that?
DEAN: If I got a bill on my desk that repealed 14B, I’d sign it in an instant. I’m just not going to push it hard...
MATTHEWS: OK.
DEAN: Because I do believe states have to have make their own judgments of that.
MATTHEWS: OK.
DEAN: I hate right-to-work laws.
And let me tell you why it’s OK to be forced to join a union. The union is out there negotiating for your wage increases. Why should you get a free ride? Why should you should be able to go to work for that company, get the same benefits as everybody else who paid their union dues and you paid nothing? That’s why I’m against right-to-work laws.
MATTHEWS: OK.
DEAN: But I do believe it’s important for states to be able to make their own laws.
MATTHEWS: You understand why a libertarian would disagree with you, right? A libertarian would think they had a right, he or she, to work where they can do the job.
DEAN: Yes, but why should they-but why should they get the benefits of everybody else who is paying dues and get a free ride?
MATTHEWS: Because it’s a free country.

end of snippet

Don’t get me wrong; unions are a good thing most of the time? Sometimes they, the unions, are truly blinded by what is the best for the membership and overlook what the results of their actions would have within a town that the union has membership from it.
Hence forcing small to large companies within the listed states above to be all unionized is a great shame. The right to opt in to a union shop will be no longer allowed.




Here below are the Right-to-Work States
State Date Method of Enactment
Florida 11-07-44 Constitutional Amendment
Arkansas 11-07-44 Constitutional Amendment
Arizona 11-05-46 Constitutional Amendment
Nebraska 12-11-46 Constitutional Amendment
Virginia 01-12-47 Legislative Statute
Tennessee 02-21-47 Legislative Statute
North Carolina 03-18-47 Legislative Statute
Georgia 03-27-47 Legislative Statute
Iowa 04-28-47 Legislative Statute
South Dakota 07-01-47 Constitutional Amendment
Texas 09-05-47 Legislative Statute
North Dakota 06-28-47 Legislative Statute
Nevada 12-04-52 Legislative Statute
Alabama 08-28-53 Legislative Statute
Mississippi 02-24-54 Legislative Statute
South Carolina 03-19-54 Legislative Statute
Utah 05-10-55 Legislative Statute
Kansas 11-04-58 Constitutional Amendment
Wyoming 02-08-63 Legislative Statute
Louisiana 07-09-76 Legislative Statute
Idaho 01-31-85 Legislative Statute


If you notice most southern states are listed above. This is a scary since he is trying to reach to the southern voters that have been voting wrong for the last couple of presidental elections.
As well, these other states listed above that voted for Bush in 00 would be carrying Bush stronger since Bush has not ever stated that he would repeal this provision of Taft-Hartley Act to my knowledge.

Yet again Dr. Dean and his "progressive" idealogy is going to hurt the Democratic Party. For all you DU's living in these states listed above plus all other states-- please send out a letter to your local newspapers and get people knowledgable about this issue.