Workers Rally From Across Montana to Defeat "Right to Work"

HB251 and “right-to-work” legislation was defeated in the Montana State House by a vote of 62-38.

Thousands of workers from across our state joined together over the last couple months to let their representatives know that defending Montana’s workers should be their first priority. Throughout our state’s history unions have protected workers, so they can get home safely, earn a good wage to spend in their communities, and fought against out-of-state corporations looking to extract wealth from our state.

“Right-to-work states experience slower economic growth, lower pay, and more workplace fatalities, despite the spin that is put forward by proponents,” said Al Ekblad, executive secretary of the Montana AFL-CIO. “HB251 is simply a way to divide workers’ voices and allow corporate interests to have more control in the collective bargaining process. This undermines wages, safety, benefits and working conditions in order to line the pockets of CEOs and out-of-state corporations.”

Montana has performed better in private-sector job growth than neighboring right-to-work states since 2009 and wages are significantly lower in “right-to-work” states, according to two recent studies.

“Workers from across the state, both union and non-union rallied to let this legislature know that Union Values are Montana values,” said Ekblad. “Today, we all won.”