HURON – A Worker’s Choice Act that Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and a North Carolina colleague have introduced would allow employees in a unionized workplace to independently negotiate their employment terms with their employer.
“I think this is going to empower workers to a great extent,” he said in a conference call with reporters.
The measure would amend the National Labor Relations Act.
It would not have any effect in states that are not right-to-work states, Johnson said.
In right-to-work states like South Dakota and North Carolina, an employee who opts out of union participation is still subject to the collectively bargained employment terms negotiated by the union, he said.
Under the Worker’s Choice Act, workers will not be forced to have unions represent their interests and dictate employment terms, he said.
The legislation has been endorsed by a number of organization, including Heritage Action, FreedomWorks, Institute for the American Worker, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Center for Worker Freedom, Americans for Tax Reform and Club for Growth.
Johnson said he thinks the measure, co-sponsored by Rep. Greg Murphy, a North Carolina Republican, can gain momentum.
But he is concerned that work in Congress is being hampered by the fact that so many people are focused on watching the impeachment hearing that opened Wednesday and is beng carried live by television networks. More witnesses are scheduled to appear Friday and next week before the House Intelligence Committee.
Johnson calls it a three-ring circus that is preventing action on legislation that can keep the country’s economy going strong.
One issue is the pending United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that is awaiting a vote. Once passed it will increase job numbers and increase agriculture exports, he said. There are no meaningful policy disputes over what the agreement would bring to the economy, he said.
“It is time for Congress to get this done,” Johnson said, adding he hopes a vote can come within the next four weeks.
Just back from his first trip to Israel, he said it was a fascinating experience that gave him the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of, among other things, the threats Turkey and Iran pose to western democracies.
Israelis are worried about the growing strength of Iran, he said. But he also said sanctions imposed on Iran have been effective, and that is having an impact on financing Hezbollah and Hamas and making it a safer region.
While he said he didn’t consult with the administration with regard to his agenda prior to the trip, Johnson said he did get a security and safety briefing. Among those he met with were regional experts, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a number of “real people” who are Muslim, Christian and Jewish, he said.
He had been invited to make the trip in August with a large group of mostly freshmen members of Congress, but it didn’t work with his schedule. He accepted an invitation to go with a national educational group which paid for the trip.
Asked how it relates to his congressional responsibilities, he said something on the House floor deals with the Middle East on a regular basis.
“As a member of Congress it is a weekly part of my job,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said Congress faces another deadline next week to adopt its appropriations bill or once again pass a continuing resolution. The current resolution is set to expire Nov. 21, but he’s already hearing it will likely be delayed until Dec. 20.
Should it not be resolved by then, action will be postponed until sometime in February.
