One of the most graphic reasons why labor opposed
"right-to-wreck" laws is pointed out by the latest
official Labor department figures, showing the average hourly
factory wages in 1957, in "right-to-work states and their
neighbors"
|
Wages
in 'Right to Work
States with No Union Shop |
Wages
in Neighbor States
Permitting Free Unionism |
| Virginia
$1.61 |
West
Virginia $2.10 |
| Tennessee
$1.65 |
Kentucky
$1.98 |
| Mississippi
$1.40 |
Louisiana
$1.94 |
| Arkansas
$1.46 |
Missouri
$1.98 |
| Texas
$2.04 |
New
Mexico $2.19 |
| Iowa
$2.05 |
Illinois
$2.19 |
| Nebraska
$1.87 |
Kansas
$2.08 |
| South
Dakota $1.79 |
Minnesota
$2.08 |
| North
Dakota $1.82 |
Montana
$2.21 |
| Utah
$2.25 |
Wyoming
$2.40 |
| Nevada
$2.53 |
Idaho
$2.10 |
| Arizona
$2.25 |
California
$2.33 |
Of these 12 pairs of states, only one
"right-to-work" state-Nevada-has higher average wages
than its neighboring free states.
Why should that be? Unionists know the answer well: Where
unions are free and strong, wages rise. Where unions are hampered
and weak, wages lag.
Six states with "right-to-work" laws have been
omitted from these comparisons. Five of them--Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina--have no free unionism
neighbor states. In all of these states, average wages are low,
ranging from $1.44 to $1.77 last June.
The sixth omitted state, Indiana, passed its wreck law only
last year. There hasn't yet been time to measure that law's effect
on Indiana's wages.
