On Wednesday, the House Business and Labor Committee made a decision to postpone a bill that aimed to designate Montana as the 28th right-to-work state in the United States, with a vote of 12-7.
House Bill 448, sponsored by Rep. James Bergstrom, R-Buffalo, would have prohibited private sector union contracts that require employees to join a union or otherwise pay fees for their representation.
The bill’s hearing last week generated an outpouring of opposition from union tradespeople and leadership who said the bill would erode the benefits workers receive through organized labor and buck Montana’s long-standing tradition of collective action. The proposal’s four proponents, all but one of whom was tied to national efforts to push right-to-work, said so-called union security agreements limit the freedom of workers and disincentivize effective representation.
Bergstrom mentioned on Wednesday morning, as the committee was about to vote on the bill, that there was a considerable amount of information circulating about politics and some intimidating factors, and that’s all he wished to disclose on the matter.
Mario Martinez, the lead representative for Montana Carpenters Local 82, expressed his satisfaction with the decision to table HB 448, stating that it is a positive outcome for working people in Montana. He emphasized the importance of representatives prioritizing the interests of local residents over out-of-state influences. Martinez also highlighted the significance of preserving fair wages, access to healthcare, and retirement benefits for workers.
Union representatives and opponents to the bill on the Business and Labor Committee have expressed cautious optimism throughout the week that the bill would stall in committee. Indeed, several Republicans — including committee chair Rep. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls — joined with all Democrats on the committee to table the bill Wednesday.
Last session, Rep. Caleb Hinkle, R-Belgrade, brought similar legislation that made it to the House floor but no further, with union workers packing the gallery overhead as lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to kill the bill.
Union supporters are still monitoring the bill for the possibility of a motion to “blast” it out of committee and to the floor, which the House can do with a three-fifths majority vote, said Rep. Derek Harvey, D-Butte, who made the motion to table Wednesday.
Harvey, a union firefighter, expressed his belief that labor has successfully made progress and engaged in productive discussions with lawmakers to prevent the passing of the bill. He hopes that this achievement will serve as an example for future instances involving anti-labor legislation during the session. However, he acknowledges that only time will reveal the true outcome as pressure mounts and political strategies unfold. Harvey anticipates that opponents may attempt to use this victory as leverage in other matters.
