Friday, July 20, 2012

Will Hudak's Anti Union Legislation Weaken Abortion Rights?

Chris Vander Doelen of the Windsor Star thinks that's what  Tim Hudak's  recently released white paper, Paths To Prosperity: Flexible Labour Markets, will accomplish:

Unions have no moral right and should have no legal right to impose their political or anti-religious views on their members — especially without asking democratically, as has been the case with the CAW’s decision to start proselytizing about abortion without first asking permission from the rank and file.


Obviously, some pastors have urged their flocks to fight back against the recent CAW campaign, which ironically began as an attempt to prevent a national debate about abortion access from taking place at the federal level, in the House of Commons.


The Conservative paper suggests that union membership be a choice. That way, anyone opposed to a union’s stance on abortion – or on immigration, or the war on terror or a hundred other issues – would be able to withhold their dues simply by quitting. Nobody’s job should depend on forced union membership, the Tories now say.

Lifesite quotes Mr. Vander Doelin approvingly.

I can't imagine that Hudak's primary purpose in the white paper is to cripple the pro-choice movement in Ontario.  It's to cripple unions. But of course, weaken them and you weaken the position of anyone who benefits from the good work they do. To the point where, if you substitute your favorite right wing cause for abortion in the above article, Hudak's proposals give you a mechanism by which a small minority within the union can prevent it from doing pretty much anything.  Sneaky fellow.

h/t

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