by Kandice Day

Created on: December 20, 2008

Speaking strictly from experience, and based upon the experience of those I care about, I do not believe that states should adopt Right-To-Work legislation. A Right-To-Work state is one that does not care about the individual, the student who is struggling to pay her bills, the cook who can barely put food on the table. This legislation may seem like a great idea, but it is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I have heard of no good reasons for states to adopt this idea. My friends, my mother, and I myself have been let go of certain employment due to the idea that I chose where I want to work, and they chose why to fire me. Here's my story.

As a hard working, dependable and successful employee, I put all of my energy into creating a welcoming environment for my bar guests. I worked shifts that no one else wanted, I picked up shifts that managers needed help with, and I was always on top of my game. This may sound like a sell, like I'm adding points to my resume to make the story believable, but it's the truth. I had achieved a bartending position at a very sheik restaurant, and did everything to insure that I kept that money rolling in.

A few months into my employment, I was admitted into the internship program with a nationally recognized magazine in Los Angeles. So, I did the right thing; I told my Arizona employer that I was moving to a different state. I gave more than two weeks notice, allowing my manager time to find a replacement. I believed that by giving more than enough notice, I would be doing my employer a favor.

When the weekly schedule appeared on our work website, my hours had been cut dramatically. I had been tossed aside. The money that I was depending on for moving expenses was gone. This is what happens in a Right-To-Work state. I had not options but to discuss the matter with my manager.

"I don't know how that happened," was her reply. "I'll look into it."

I had one more week to make up the money I lost, and I was assured that my original hours would be returned to me. After all, I had always been a supreme employee and gave plenty of notice so as not to leave them in the dark.

The next schedule went up, and the same outcome occurred. I was left with even less hours. Not only was this unexpected, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

"This is a Right-To-Work state," my father said.

My restaurant had no union, and I had no way of standing up for myself. There were no laws to protect me from the hundreds of dollars that had been taken out of my pocket. There was no legal recourse for me, other than to accept that I was deeply in debt because of my Right-To-Work status.

In state with this legislation, employers care about one thing, the bottom line. These are the states with little remorse for employee satisfaction. These are the states with little recourse for employees who can't pay their bills. I was making three dollars an hour as a bartender and that is the norm in a Right-To-Work state. How is this acceptable?

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