Growing Capitol Hill Support For Right to Work

House Cosponsorship of H.R.1275 Moving Beyond 100 This Spring

Thanks in large part to tireless activism by members of the National Right to Work Committee, the number of cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives of federal forced-dues repeal legislation continues to rise.

The National Right to Work Act, H.R.1275, was introduced by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) last year. As this Newsletter goes to press in early March, it has 100 cosponsors. S.406, nearly identical companion legislation that is pending in the U.S. Senate, has 20 cosponsors.

This legislation would not add a single word to federal labor law.

Instead, it would simply repeal the current provisions in federal law that allow and encourage the firing of private-sector employees who refuse to financially support a union.

Right to Work State Households Have More to Spend

“When the National Right to Work Act is signed into law, workers in all 50 states will finally have the freedom to decide for themselves whether or not a union has earned their financial support,” commented Committee President Mark Mix.

“No employee covered by federal labor law will be forced to choose between paying dues or fees to a union and losing his or her job.”

Compulsory unionism is, first and foremost, a moral issue.

Prohibiting it is also one of the most powerful economic reforms that Congress could consider this year.

To illustrate this point, Mr. Mix cited a 2020 analysis by the National Institute for Labor Relations Research. 

It found that, after adjusting for taxes and cost of living, the average household income for Right to Work states in 2019 was $64,572 — over $4,300 higher than the average in states with compulsory union dues.

The Institute analysis cites data from the U.S. Census Bureau (BOC), the non-partisan Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., and the state government-operated Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.

Mr. Mix remarked: “Workers understandably find that it is hard to provide for their families in states that stifle economic activity by allowing forced union dues. Doing so is far easier in states that have passed Right to Work laws.

“That’s why, when given the choice, working-age men and women tend to avoid forced-unionism states.”

2020 population data released last year by the BOC tell an important story when compared to similar data from 2010.

Over the decade, the 23 states without Right to Work laws saw a population decline among people in their peak earning years (ages 35-54) of 7.4% — more than 3.2 million people.

Nationwide, the peak-earning-year population declined by 4.2% due to aging baby boomers.

Compulsory Union Dues Subsidize Union-Label Politicians

But in spite of the overall national decline, in the 22 states that had Right to Work protections for the entire decade, the peak-earning-aged population did not decline at all!

“BOC data continue to show that employees and business alike know the harm they suffer under federally imposed forced unionism, which remains the default policy across the country unless a state has enacted a Right to Work law,” said Mr. Mix.

“But it’s not just workers without Right to Work protections who are harmed.

“Union bosses funnel billions of dollars in workers’ dues money every election cycle into political activity.

“And the union-label politicians who routinely get elected and reelected with Big Labor’s money overwhelmingly favor higher taxes, more spending, and more stifling regulations on businesses.

“This is true at the state, local, and federal levels.

“The policies enacted by these forced-dues-funded politicians hamstring job creation and slow economic growth. And the damage is greatest in states where union bosses take the most money from workers who would be fired for refusing to pay up.

“Fortunately, there is a solution. If Congress repeals the New Deal-era forced-dues provisions in the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act, this roadblock to economic growth will be lifted nationwide.

“Eliminating compulsory unionism would spur job creation in all 50 states.”

Committee Members Will Keep Turning up the Heat on Capitol Hill

Mr. Mix declared that the over two million Committee members would continue to put pressure on members of both the House and the Senate this year:

“A flood of petitions, emails, and phone calls from our members has already had a massive impact on Capitol Hill.

“Decades of experience have shown that when politicians ‘feel the heat’ they ‘see the light.’

“That’s why Committee members will continue to turn up the heat on Washington, D.C.’s politicians throughout 2022.”

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This article was originally published in our monthly newsletter. Go here to access previous newsletter posts.

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