With all the hype about the unions coming out of Wisconsin, there aren’t many people paying attention to the National Right To Work Act which Senator Paul Rand (Kentucky) sponsored to free U.S. workers from forced unionization and break Big Labor’s multi-billion dollar political machine.

The passage of the National Right to Work law would eliminate compulsory unionism in every state in the United States and repeal five provisions in the National Labor Relations Act that authorize the firing of workers for refusal to pay union dues. Employees would be free to choose whether or not to join a labor union. As the National Right To Work Committee’s slogan says: “No one should be forced to pay a union in order to get or keep a job”.

According to news reports over 10 million Americans pay tribute to get or keep their job. Originally since the 1920’s, unions helped workers band together for collective bargaining over wages, benefits and working conditions but in recent years Unions have become too powerful terrorizing workers and siphoning union money to elect their candidates to protect management privileges and abuse money management.

Meanwhile this month, Republican lawmakers from Washington sent an anti-union bill to Governor Scott Walker (Wisconsin) for approval. This bill would strip collective bargaining rights from public sector workers. Over 100,000 protesters came last weekend with signs to protest their governor signing this anti-union bill.

At first mention of the dispute up north, most U.S. citizens would think Unions should be protected because it protects the workers like you and me, but with further study we begin to realize that it’s an organization gone power mad. With all the money from dues, absolute power corrupts absolutely. There is no danger of scaling back Unions or passing a law not to force workers to pay. Work Unions will still press on for those workers who want them.

The real reason for all the bad press on Wisconsin’s governor and The National Right to Work bill is that the Union management won’t have any more power. Management can’t bully workers to pay dues or threaten workers to lose their job. Management won’t have power to fund politicians’ elections. Management won’t have power to press for unreasonable, above-market wages which cannot be granted from corporations wanting work. This is the real story behind the struggle of Unions.

This power has been going on for too long a time. If only we, as a people, could see through the smoke of management struggling to keep their little nest egg going so they can keep themselves in power, then Unions wouldn’t be such a threat. Free movement of goods, services and labor would ultimately benefit and enrich everyone. That is the American way.

Loxley resident Valerie J. Steimle is now the author of four books. Her latest, “Dogs, Blogs and Hobbits: Writings from a Widow’s Perspective” is available on Amazon.com. Contact her at valeriesteimle@yahoo.com, visit her website at www.stregthenyourhome.com or check out her blog at www.valeriesteimle.blogspot.com.