WITH THE GOP gaining strength in many state legislatures following the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans in some states are once again pushing for so-called “right to work” laws. Unions have had some success in fending off this anti-worker legislation in past decades, although 22 states – primarily in the South and West – have RTW laws today.
Those who advocate for RTW would be well to remember the words of Edward Steimel, a business expert who successfully led the fight to pass RTW in Louisiana in the 1970s. Steimel would later lament that the anti-union RTW legislation he supported had resulted in “a bleak story for Louisiana workers,” forcing many skilled employees to leave the state in search of better wages and damaging the state’s economy.
His comments, detailed in a 2001 Times Picayune story, ring true today – and should serve as a warning to other states that are considering such laws.
[Right to work laws prohibit unions and employers from entering into agreements that require workers, as a condition of employment, to either join a union or pay fees to the union for representation services. RTW laws are designed to weaken unions. Since employees are not required to join a union or pay fees, some workers reap the benefits of union representation without paying their fair share, eroding solidarity.]
