Amid Union Opposition, Right to Work Advances in Delaware County
GEORGETOWN, Delaware—A right-to-work measure in one of this state’s three counties remains on the agenda despite the objections of a government attorney and dozens of union members who showed up in force.
Sussex County doesn’t have the power under Delaware’s home rule statute to pass the legislation against forced unionization, the county council’s lawyer warned Tuesday during a discussion of the bill.
“My opinion is that this is not something granted to Sussex County, and we don’t have the authority under home rule,” J. Everett Moore, the lawyer, told the Sussex County Council.
If the council passes the measure proposed by member Rob Arlett, the council’s lawyer said, someone will take it to court.
But the five lawmakers, all Republicans, plan to reintroduce the measure officially after making technical changes he recommended.
The action in Delaware isn’t occurring in a vacuum. In New Mexico, the Sandoval County Council has held two public hearings on its own proposed right-to-work ordinance, and is set to vote on it Nov. 2.
A total of 28 states are now right-to-work states, with Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and West Virginia making the move since 2012. The U.S. territory of Guam also is a right-to-work jurisdiction.
Kentucky stands out because its counties …read more