Right to Work Support Growing on Capitol Hill 

Pro-Forced Dues Federal Statutes Harm Employees, Firms Nationwide

In the recently-concluded 2023- 2024 Congress, a record 169 members of the U.S. House and Senate combined cosponsored federal legislation to repeal forced union dues. 

This legislation, known as the National Right to Work Act, would repeal all the parts of federal law that authorize compulsory union dues as a job condition. 

And by the time this edition of the National Right to Work Newsletter reaches its readers, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are expected to have already introduced House and Senate forced-dues repeal measures in the 2025- 26 Congress. 

“When the Wilson-Paul measure becomes law, private-sector employees in all 50 states will have the freedom to choose as individuals whether or not to join or pay dues to a union,” explained National Right to Work Committee Vice President Matthew Leen. 

“No employees covered by federal labor statutes will face job loss as a consequence of their decision to refuse to join or bankroll a union. 

“The National Right to Work Act accomplishes this important policy change by removing all the forced union dues-imposing provisions now included in the National Labor Relations Act [NLRA] and the Railway Labor Act [RLA].” Compulsory unionism is primarily a moral issue. At the same time, the National Right to Work Act would have a significant positive impact on incomes and jobs.

Forced-Unionism States Are More Costly to Live in 

One key to understanding the connection between Right to Work and higher living standards is awareness of interstate differences in the cost of living. 

Nonpartisan analysts such as the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC), a state government agency, consistently find that compulsory-unionism states as a group have a substantially higher cost of living than do the 26 states that protect the Right to Work through state laws. 

In 2023, Right to Work states’ per capita disposable income advantage was roughly $2,900 after adjusting U.S. Commerce Department data for regional differences in the cost of living. 

“In states that continue to allow compulsory union dues, union bosses are better able to elect their hand-picked candidates, resulting in worse outcomes for workers and other taxpayers in those states,” said Mr. Leen. 

“Union bosses funnel a huge portion of the forced dues and fees they collect with federal policy’s abetment into politics. “And the union-label politicians who routinely get elected and reelected because of their forced dues-funded support overwhelmingly favor higher taxes and more red-tape regulation of businesses both large and small.” 

In 2022, the share of all income consumed by state and local taxes was 12.6% in forced-unionism states, compared to just 9.5% in Right to Work states. 

That same year, the unfunded liabilities of public pension plans were nearly twice as high in forced-unionism states, $27,226 per capita, compared to $15,099 in Right to Work states. 

“The actions of forced dues-funded politicians have increased tax burdens and indebtedness, resulting in slower revenue growth for businesses, and slower growth in cash pay and benefits for employees,” said Mr. Leen. “If Congress repealed all the forced-dues provisions in the NLRA and RLA, this massive impediment to economic growth nationwide would quickly be lifted.”

Federal Forced-Dues Repeal Would Benefit Workers and Businesses in All 50 States 

The 2.8 million Committee members and supporters are now lobbying hard to build Capitol Hill support for the National Right to Work Act. 

“It was Congress, not any state legislature, that spawned the evil of private-sector forced union dues in the first place,” noted Mr. Leen. “Even in Right to Work states, airline, railroad, and certain other employees may be forced to pay union dues, or be fired, due to federally imposed loopholes in their labor laws. 

“Fortunately, the National Right to Work Act would close these loopholes, which were drilled into all existing and future state Right to Work laws by Congress and the federal courts.

“The fact is, the Right to Work movement is gaining more and more strength. 

“That’s why I’m optimistic Right to Work support in the current Congress will surpass last year’s record level. 

“Ultimately, Congress must fix the problem it initiated by passing the National Right to Work Act.”

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

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