Adams Wofford: Amendment would be ‘right to fire’

Regarding the April 21 news article “Bill to add ‘right to work’ to N.C. constitution clears committee”: The “right to work” constitutional amendment proposed by the N.C. House should properly be understood as a “right to fire.”

Labor unions have been instrumental in abolishing child labor and creating the eight-hour day, the five-day workweek, medical and retirement benefits and the minimum wage. Unions played a major role in the creation of the middle class by giving workers a voice and the ability to stand up to exploitative management. The South, in particular, has been hostile to unions as southern management wants temporary workers who lack benefits, who will work for chicken feed and can be fired at whim.

The N.C. House desires to enshrine this sentiment in our constitution as a hedge against the likelihood that a future legislature will be wiser.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 7:59 PM with the headline "Adams Wofford: Amendment would be ‘right to fire’."