Why is it mostly southern states that don allow grant collective bargaining rights to public employees?
The reasons are historical. Plantation economies required large workforces, and the plantation owners acquired their workers through the system of slavery. Slavery was maintained only through the application of considerable force and intimidation. One of the greatest fears of the Southern elite was the fear of a slave uprising. They had good reason to be afraid. They were denying liberty and justice to thousands for their own economic gain. In some regions, slaves outnumbered free persons as many as 5 to 1. Responding to their own self-induced fears, many Southern elite became experts in the use of fear and force against others. As plantation economies gave way to other industries, the successors of the plantation owners continued to apply the methods of fear and intimidation against employees. They saw to it that anti-unionism was preached from the pulpit and taught in the schools. When this indoctrination failed to keep employees satisfied with the injustices of the workplace, busine
