Employee choice would send strong signal for economic development

By Jim Henderson

Kentucky workers are some of the most productive in the nation.

I know that our state has a lot to offer prospective employers. Our central location and access to major interstates provide convenient transportation that companies need. In addition, our rank as the state with the lowest energy costs helps keep production expenditures down.

But I also know that Kentucky has one large hurdle to overcome the current ban on employee choice before we can maximize economic development and ensure that our children don't have to move out of the state to find a good job.

We are the only southern state that forces people to join and pay dues to a union if one is present in a workplace. This policy sends a signal that Kentucky is not a job-friendly commonwealth.

This issue especially hinders our efforts in Simpson County and any other county, for that matter that borders Tennessee, an employee-choice state. We regularly compete for businesses with Tennessee, northern Mississippi, northern Alabama and Arkansas all of which have employee choice. Time and time again, companies don't even give Simpson County a look because Kentucky is not an employee-choice state.

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