Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Block says he is totally opposed to an employment law change proposed by Rep. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Warwick), who served as Treasurer Gina Raimondo's campaign manager in 2010. Block calls the bill (H7055) "possibly the biggest job-killer of the session" because it would effectively give every terminated employee the opportunity to claim that he or she had an implied contractual right to keep the job.
"When our state is trying desperately to grow jobs and cut unemployment, what possible sense does it make to tell employers they're opening themselves to a possible legal nightmare every time they hire a new worker," asked Block. "Rep. Shekarchi's bill would cut the job prospects for every unemployed Rhode Islander, except his colleagues in the legal profession.
"I can tell you that as Governor I would veto this bill in a heartbeat. I'm about creating new job opportunities, not killing them. With effective legal protections against employment discrimination already on the books, there is no conceivable need for anything like this bill.
"Business wants stability but Rep. Shekarchi's bill would turn stability upside down. Every employer would have to think long and hard about hiring any new workers.
"Considering Rep. Shekarchi's close association with Treasurer Raimondo, I would certainly want to know her view on his job-killing plan.
"This bill needs to be killed right now so the word goes out that Rhode Island won't even think about doing anything this damaging to our economy. Let's not wait til the dying hours of the session when anything can happen; let's let the world know this job-killing plan will not pass.
"Adding this kind of unnecessary and burdensome regulation would be one more example of Rhode Island moving in the wrong direction, one more mistake we can't afford if we want to have a growing, competitive economy with opportunities for ourselves and our children and grandchildren."
"When our state is trying desperately to grow jobs and cut unemployment, what possible sense does it make to tell employers they're opening themselves to a possible legal nightmare every time they hire a new worker," asked Block. "Rep. Shekarchi's bill would cut the job prospects for every unemployed Rhode Islander, except his colleagues in the legal profession.
"I can tell you that as Governor I would veto this bill in a heartbeat. I'm about creating new job opportunities, not killing them. With effective legal protections against employment discrimination already on the books, there is no conceivable need for anything like this bill.
"Business wants stability but Rep. Shekarchi's bill would turn stability upside down. Every employer would have to think long and hard about hiring any new workers.
"Considering Rep. Shekarchi's close association with Treasurer Raimondo, I would certainly want to know her view on his job-killing plan.
"This bill needs to be killed right now so the word goes out that Rhode Island won't even think about doing anything this damaging to our economy. Let's not wait til the dying hours of the session when anything can happen; let's let the world know this job-killing plan will not pass.
"Adding this kind of unnecessary and burdensome regulation would be one more example of Rhode Island moving in the wrong direction, one more mistake we can't afford if we want to have a growing, competitive economy with opportunities for ourselves and our children and grandchildren."
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