Right to Work

The term “right to work” is a cynical description of a disguised worker protection that is really aimed to silence workers’ voice, reduce bargaining power and make jobs and economic growth more uncertain. It’s about power—social, political and economic power.

Twenty-eight states already have “right to work” laws banning agency fees. Such laws create a free-rider problem: People don’t have to join unions or pay agency fees to get the unions’ benefits, so the unions lose members and political influence.

The 22 states that don’t have these laws include heavily populated ones like California, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio; those five states on their own account for nearly half of America’s total union members. That helps explain why the union movement views agency fees as necessary if they are to survive at all, and as valid as any other provision in an employment contract. Without the fees, public sector unions could shrivel and take the broader union movement with them.

The Supreme Court sweeping ruling in 2018, dramatically undermines unions for teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public employees throughout the United States.

If you believe in collective bargaining and the legitimate role of unions in civil society, then the right place to deal with union dues is in collective bargaining between workers and employers. That’s exactly what collective bargaining is for.