Even GOP feuding over right to work

It also has touched off concern among right-to-work supporters who believe this is the year Oklahoma may finally pass a law to bar security clauses in labor contracts that require all employees to pay union dues or fees.

Right to work has long been pushed by Republicans as a virtual panacea for ensuring Oklahoma's future prosperity, even though some Democrats have called it a phony issue that the GOP wants to keep around for political reasons.

Gov. Frank Keating, Oklahoma's two-term Republican governor, has had right to work on his agenda ever since taking office in 1995.

So when House Minority Leader Fred Morgan, R-Oklahoma City, announced last week that it was not on the GOP agenda it prompted criticism within the Republican ranks.

Sen. Mike Fair, R-Oklahoma City, president of Oklahomans for Right to Work, said Republicans could lose some of the eight House seats they gained in the 2000 elections if they chose to "play political games with the issue or show a lack of courage" to face it.

Keating, Fair and others have put their hopes on legislation to place the issue before a statewide vote. In the Senate, where similar proposals have died in recent years, Democrat Dave Herbert of Midwest City is proposing a referendum for a vote at a special election.

Morgan, however, has introduced a bill to enact a right-to-work law instead of having a vote on the issue, something many Republicans concede will likely be killed by Democrats, who have a majority in both houses.

Initially, Morgan cited differences of opinion among House Republicans on the issue and concern over political ramifications from some GOP members who have "heavy labor concentrations" in their districts.

Morgan now says he did not explain the situation adequately and is predicting a unified front from House Republicans if a right-to-work plan goes to a floor vote in any form.

"If we get a vote on right to work, I would be surprised if any Republicans voted against it," he said.

Morgan said the divisiveness he spoke about when he discussed the GOP agenda was mainly over whether to pursue a statute or a public vote, not the merits of the issue.

"If you put it on your agenda, you publicly go out and promote that agenda. And if you have labor people in your district, you are inflaming those people without ever actually getting a vote on it," Morgan said.

"We are sensitive to making people a target who won election by close margins in areas with high union memberships."

Of the 48 House Republicans, 31 are on record in a state Chamber of Commerce poll in support of sending the issue to a vote of the people, said Mike Seney, Chamber vice president. He said 17 GOP House members did not respond, along with most House Democrats.

Republicans aren't the only ones mapping right-to-work strategy.

University of Tulsa law professor James C. Thomas has warned that if lawmakers advance right to work, opponents may launch an initiative petition to abolish Oklahoma's "employment at will"

doctrine which critics say allows employers to fire employees without just cause.

Jim Curry, state AFL-CIO president, said it would be easy for labor to get enough signatures on a petition to abolish the doctrine.

Curry said Friday the proposed petition drive is a serious proposal and his organization's executive committee would make a decision on it later this month.

Labor officials say right-to-work is aimed at killing unions and will result is lower wages.

Proponents say it will allow Oklahoma to compete with surrounding states for industry and workers will benefit if more jobs are brought to the state.

Morgan and Seney said legislative efforts to do away with "employment at will" have not gotten very far in the past.

Seney said the doctrine is supported by state case law, but is now a misnomer because of federal legislation outlawing various forms of discrimination.

He said there are more than 50 causes of action available for employees to protest their dismissal.