Alabama is the best place to live, work and raise a family. This is why I am proud to be born and raised in Alabama, and it’s why I chose to raise my family here. Unfortunately, out of state liberals, including AOC, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have recently been hard at work trying to fundamentally change Alabama to be more like California and New York.
Most recently, AOC, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have been at the forefront of the effort to change Alabama’s right-to-work laws. Since 1943, Alabama has been a right-to-work state, which employees and employers have benefitted greatly from. Alabama’s right-to-work laws provide employees with much flexibility, and they are a major reason why so many companies (and workers) are leaving states like California and New York to come to states like Alabama.
Ballots are due this week at Amazon’s Bessemer, AL, plant to determine whether to become unionized, and liberals from all over the U.S. have decided to get involved in attempts to influence the outcome of the vote. Instead of minding the business of their own states, AOC and Bernie Sanders have decided to involve themselves in decisions that should be made by Alabamians alone.
Last Friday, Bernie Sanders traveled to Bessemer to rally workers, and AOC has been hard at work tweeting her opinions about Amazon and the Alabamians who work there. After torpedoing an Amazon project in New York that had the potential to bring thousands of jobs to her area, AOC has already proven she really does not have the best interest of workers in mind. However, I am confident Alabamians are smart enough to see through her campaign to obliterate worker’s rights.
Democrats are not stopping there, though. Earlier this month, House Democrats rammed through H.R. 842 – The PRO Union Bosses Act. I voted no because this act harms employers and American workers while lining the pockets of union bosses. I also offered an amendment to protect the flexibility enjoyed by independent contractors and workers in the emerging gig economy (i.e. Uber drivers), but Democrats immediately refused to consider it.
Federal labor laws should empower workers with the choices and opportunities they need to succeed. Legislation like H.R. 842, however, holds workers back and violates their rights by eliminating right-to-work laws across the country. Alabamians, and all Americans, should have the right to work without being union members or being forced to pay union dues against their wishes. The last thing we need is out-of-state liberals like AOC, Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren telling us how to live our lives and raise our families here in Alabama.
Jerry Carl represents Alabama’s First Congressional District. He lives in Mobile with his wife Tina.
