For Immediate Release March 17, 2015                                                                                                                                                            

March 17, 2015 (Boone, KY) Today after an hour of public discussion, Boone County, Kentucky, the 4th largest county in the Commonwealth, passed a Local Right to Work Ordinance in a unanimous vote.  Business leaders and community leaders voiced strong support for the measure, which they said would allow the community to grow jobs and expand opportunity for the whole community.

Boone County becomes the largest county in the state to pass the ordinance, and the first in Northern Kentucky.  As the only county in the state with an international gateway, (CVG) which is a hub for Delta, Boone County is in unique position to take advantage of the right to work designation in seeking new business.

Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore summarized the Fiscal Court's support for the ordinance, “our Economic Development team markets our greater Cincinnati area internationally and as the first county in our region to pass right to work, we think it's going to be a big advantage.”  Judge Moore said. He added, “despite the reservations of some of those here tonight, it will bring opportunities both to union workers and the greater community.”

"Watching the growing number of states and counties adopting Right to Work, Boone County needs this in our toolbox", said Trey Grayson, President and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Jim McGraw of KMK Consulting, a site selection consultant who works frequently with Northern Kentucky counties told the Court that "on any kind of level playing field, right to work is going to make the difference."

Dan Tobergte, President/CEO of Tri-Ed, Jim Waters, President of the Bluegrass Institute of Public Policy, and Brent Yessin, an attorney with Protect My Check explained the economic benefits of the ordinance before the vote, which was opposed by several union officers and business agents.

Brent Yessin, an attorney for Protect My Check, confirmed that his non-profit would pay legal fees of any county passing the ordinance before the end of the month.  

Yessin stressed the bi-partisan nature of the votes to support right to work in Kentucky, noting that after 16 counties have voted in either first or second readings, 96% of Republicans and 94% of Democrats have supported right to work.  "Once you get outside of Washington or Frankfort, it starts being about what's best for my neighbors, and what do you hear in the check out line, not what do my big donors expect."

With the vote, more than 500,000 Kentuckians are now protected by Right to Work. Eleven Kentucky counties now join 25 states, most recently Wisconsin, in passing right to work ordinances to protect employees.

For more information – please visit www.mycheckmychoice.org and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mycheckmychoice

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Protect My Check, Inc. is a non-profit group that supports local legislators, workers and employers who seek to expand employee rights and create jobs by passing local right to work protections in the 25 states lacking statewide protections.