Teamsters rally to fight Pa. right-to-work bill

HARRISBURG - A Teamsters rally today drew almost 400 laborers to the Capitol, where union leaders promised to bring thousands next time if lawmakers push through anti-worker legislation.

Last week Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Cranberry) introduced a package of bills that would end mandatory union membership for employees of the state's schools, government and businesses.

"There is a war on workers going on in Pennsylvania, sadly," said Pennsylvania AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer Frank Snyder, also of Cranberry. "We need more jobs. We don't need legislation like this."

Others at the rally said Metcalfe's legislation would take resources away from unions and would dilute their abilities to negotiate fair wages and benefits for members.

Bill Hamilton, president of the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters, organized the rally to get that message out.

He said conservative Republicans like Metcalfe aim to bust unions rather than to enact responsible legislation.

During a news conference last week, Metcalfe said it's unfair to force an employee to join a union and pay dues to an organization that might advocate views they disagree with.

Other right-to-work bills have been introduced in previous legislative sessions but not approved.

Twenty-two other states have adopted similar legislation.