Thoughts on libertarianism and unions

     Today I went to a hearing in Concord on the so-called Right-to-Work bill. The word "libertarian" came up a couple of times, and was misused both times, by people speaking for and against the bill. I was an "early libertarian"; I knew Murray Rothbard; I worked on the Hospers campaign and many more, and was either the first or the second secretary (I think someone else served briefly, stopped attending meetings, and I was asked to serve and did) of LPNH. I ran for various political offices. I was one of the people who helped LPNH get ballot status, was registered to vote as a Libertarian, ran for office as a Libertarian, and then watched Howard Wilson cost the party that status. I watched the party get and lose status again. I watched the party forget the roots of libertarianism and be taken over by Republican neo-cons who called themselves Libertarians
     Libertarianism originated in France, in the 1880s. It was a workers' movement, in which people would voluntarily band together and work together in syndicates, sharing skills and resources to produce goods and services in voluntary association and working to dismantle the state.
    Corporations are anti-libertarian creations, artificial people protected by government fiat. They cannot exist in a libertarian society. Unions, as voluntary associations for a shared purpose, can exist. Religious organizations may exist on the same basis of voluntary membership. It is an ideal of libertarianism that the state will no longer exist, but that's utopian. Libertarians generally accept the idea of a limited state to provide for defense from force and from fraud.
     Given the current structure of society, many libertarians work for government, because government is the major employer of educated and skilled workers. Only 47% of US adults have full-time jobs. Almost half of full-time jobs are in Federal, state, county, municipal, school districts, or the US military. A majority of professional, technical, and paraprofessional workers work in the government sector or the non-profit sector. Most unskilled workers work in the for-profit sector.
     Labor unions are, as they always have been, libertarian organizations. No one has to join one; only about 9% of US jobs are unionized. Workers choose to organize a union, elect leaders, set budgets, pay dues, and negotiate contracts. Employers choose to whether the union will be able to assess fees from workers who do not join, to cover the cost of negotiations and grievance arbitration; they can accept or reject this in negotiations. Neither the union nor the employer can coerce the other. (My sister applied, in New Jersey-- a heavily unionized state-- for an accounting position. The employer, eager to hire her, offered in addition to the advertised pay and benefits to pay her union initiation fee up-front for her and her union dues on a continuing basis. She accepted.) Federal law requires that the union represent everyone in the workplace, whether they are a member or not or a fee-payer or not. These "free-riders" cost unions time and money and often build resentment among workers.     
    If someone chooses to work for a unionized employer, such as the state of NH, that's a choice. The new worker is given information on the union, and after they complete their one-year probationary period, must choose whether to join the union or to pay agency fee, as the employer and the union agreed in the contract. Many workers choose to join sooner, since the union offers free or heavily discounted legal services, scholarship programs, credit cards and student loan options and mortgage programs,, insurance programs, and emergency help, along with various discounts on goods and services, as part of the association benefits for members. Members may choose to voluntarily contribute to a union PAC for political activity.
     Labor unions are libertarian organizations. Union membership is a libertarian choice. Right-to-work is an anti-libertarian bill.