According to Wikipedia (Right-to-work Law):
A “right-to-work” law is a statute in the United States that prohibits union security agreements, or agreements between labor unions and employers, that govern the extent to which an established union can require employees’ membership, payment of union dues, or fees as a condition of employment, either before or after hiring.
Right-to-work laws do not aim to provide general guarantee of employment to people seeking work, but rather are a government regulation of the contractual agreements between employers and labor unions that prevents them from excluding non-union workers, or requiring employees to pay a fee to unions that have negotiated the labor contract all the employees work under.
Perhaps not surprisingly, not all unions support “right-to-work” laws. For example, according to the AFL-CIO (Right to Work):
Extremist groups, right-wing politicians and their corporate backers want to weaken the power of workers and their unions through “right to work” laws. Their efforts are a partisan political ploy that undermines the basic rights of workers.
By making unions weaker, these laws lower wages and living standards for all workers in the state. In fact, workers in states with these laws earn an average of $5,680 less a year than workers in other states. Because of the higher wages, working families in states without these laws also benefit from healthier tax bases that improve their quality of life.
Do you believe that right-to-work laws are good laws? Why or why not? Do you agree with the assessment of the AFL-CIO regarding right-to-work laws? Why or why not? What experiences (positive, negative or neutral) do you have with unions and union membership?
