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Union power grab on Michigan ballot

The Oklahoman Editorial | Published: November 1, 2012 Comment on this article

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Proposal 2 is seen as trial run for similar efforts in other states. Thanks to our initiative petition process, Oklahoma could technically be a future target, although that's unlikely. In a 2001 election, 54 percent of voters supported State Question 695, which made Oklahoma a right-to-work state.

At the time, opponents argued a right-to-work law would result in lower wages and cause the loss of health care coverage for over 112,000 Oklahomans. The results haven't borne out those claims. Oklahoma's per capita income rose from $26,200 in 2001 to $37,690 in 2008 when the national recession hit. The Federal Reserve reports 83.1 percent of Oklahomans had health coverage in 2011. Our unemployment rate is among the nation's lowest.

Those results suggest efforts like Proposal 2 aren't designed to benefit workers. They're designed to boost the political power of union bosses.

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