The National Right to Work Act

Marcianne Kuethen

February 7, 2013

As an employer or employee in the United States, there’s a new piece of legislation of which you should be aware. Last week, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky introduced the National Right to Work Act, which would require all states to give their workers the freedom to choose whether or not to join a union as a condition of employment. The Right to Work Act adds nothing to existing federal law; it simply deletes wording that forces unionism provisions from the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Railway Labor Act (RLA).

Some estimate that nearly 80% of all Americans agree that workers should be free to choose. Yet the law in 26 states allows forced union membership and dues.

There are currently 8 million working Americans who are required by law to pay union dues. These workers are not required to join a workers’ union but they are required to pay the dues; and if workers refuse to pay these union fees, they risk losing their jobs to Big Labor.

Whichever side of this issue you fall on, you’ll want to keep your eye on how this one turns out.

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