Activists crowd the West Chester Township hall to stand up against Right to Work for the Cincinnati-area community workers.
Shortly after Kentucky became the 27th state to pass Right to Work last weekend, an Ohio township decided it would try to pass a resolution to attack workers in its own Cincinnati-area township. More than 100 people packed a township trustee meeting in West Chester County last night to protest the move.
Trustees initially pulled Right to Work is Wrong from the agenda but more than one hundred protestors spilled into the township hall demanding to be heard. The vast majority of those in attendance opposed the move to turn the township into a Right to Work one, but Trustees refused to let them speak unless they lived in the township. Those who worked and still paid taxes in the township were barred from expressing their views.
Two of the three trustees indicated they support Right to Work and made the false claim that the township would lose workers to Kentucky after the state jammed through Right to Work legislation over the weekend. Kentucky Governor Bevin, quickly signed the measure, as well as a measure to not require a prevailing (living) wage for government construction projects.
Not only is there no evidence nationally that Right to Work has been an economic boon for states, the facts show that states with Right to Work laws have lower wages and more workplace injuries than other states.
Mark your calendar! A follow-up West Chester trustee meeting on Right to Work may take place prior to the next Trustee meeting on Jan. 24.