Carter Hammond

I am a union member and carpenter that has worked in both non-union and union contexts, and I have never been afforded more freedom as a worker and as a citizen, nor have I ever received fair and equal pay as I have while working with a union. Mine, as well as all other unions operate through a democratic process. The provision of exclusive representation affords me the individual freedom to not have to sacrifice my time and effort - whether during or outside working hours - to engage in a negotiation process with an employer who holds power over me as a worker and, within private context, can refuse to acknowledge or compensate an increased value of my labor without justification or recourse on my part to dispute that decision. This bill is fundamentally anti-freedom if freedom is judged by allowing individuals - both worker and employer alike - to spend their time and energy in a manner of their choosing. In promoting independent bargaining, the administrative costs of both time and money, for employers, would also increase as the employer now has to handle multiple, potentially many, individual negotiations as opposed to one consolidated negotiation which is more cost effective for both the employer and the workers. I urge the committee to vote inexpedient to legislate on HB 1704.