How many congressmen does it take to connect two dots? A historic oil boom is underway in North Dakota. Unemployed Montanans are moving there for jobs. New businesses are booming in Williston yet the same massive Bakken oil formation lies in Montana, just 20 miles away. What is wrong with Montana oil?
Ask yourself this question. If you had a choice of starting a new business in Montana, which has an outrageous policy of forced unionism or a free “right-to-work” state such as neighboring North Dakota that does not, which state would you choose? Would you rather run your own business or have a union calling the shots? Gee, anyone can connect the two dots of right-to-work and new jobs, right? Well, not Sen. Jon Tester.
Tester supported SJ 36, which reduces the time for the union certification process from approximately 38 days to just one week. Now get this. He gives the outrageous excuse and I quote, “Currently, the representation election process can get bogged down in unnecessary delays. Ninety percent of organizing elections occur within about eight weeks but those that get delayed take, on average, over 100 days. The delay significantly tilts the playing field in favor of businesses.”
Perish the thought that Tester might actually help Montana businesses! And Tester wonders why Montana’s unemployment rate is more than double that of North Dakota? And, as the passage of the Health Care Reform Bill has taught us, expediency is sometimes a detriment to the people. What is the big rush? Shouldn’t the workers have ample time to make their decisions? In his response to my call, Tester not once referenced the workers.
Bette Schultz
Whitefish