U.S. Union Policy Desperately Needs Restructuring

United Automobile Workers Union Strike, September 2023. Photo by Adam Schultz.

Being forced to do just about anything, political or apolitical, goes against the very essence of the American personality, which is marked by a strong aversion against mandates—and unions are no exception. Strong evidence indicates that unions play a major role in championing for worker rights, legal protections, and workplace safety. First established in 1947, right-to-work laws, now in place in 28 states, give workers the choice to not pay union dues in their workplace and exist due to the illusion that they promote free choice. These laws require that company unions provide benefits to all employees regardless of whether or not they pay dues. Federal law already prohibits companies to force union membership on an employee. In doing so, these laws further harm union strength and worker rights. Not only should the federal government prohibit right-to-work laws for their drastic shortcomings, they should also embrace the benefits that unions offer and take further action to increase their strength on a national scale.

Right-to-work laws weaken unions by requiring that they provide benefits to all employees while not requiring payment. With these laws in place, union resources are stretched beyond their paying membership and fail to receive enough money to cover their benefits, thereby weakening their influence. Under these conditions, unions are unable to defend workers’ interests, strike, or bargain for a safer working environment. 

The statistics speak for themselves: The Illinois Economic Policy Institute reports a 5% decrease in health insurance coverage in right-to-work states as well as a two year decrease in life expectancy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the rate of workplace fatalities is 54% higher in states with right-to-work laws, a staggering difference. The Center for American Progress corroborates these figures, finding that if benefit coverage in non-right-to-work states were lowered to the levels of states with these laws, two million fewer workers would receive health insurance and 3.8 million fewer workers would receive pensions nationwide. Abolishing right-to-work laws would undoubtedly increase union membership by securing affordable health coverage for millions. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research cites a difference of nearly 20% in the unionization rate between states with and without right-to-work laws. Increases in union membership lead to quality of life benefits regardless of membership status. A study conducted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, which controlled for factors such as education, unemployment, and types of industries, found that if unionization rates increased by 10%, the typical middle-class household, unionized or not, would earn $1,501 more each year. Simply put, increased unionization benefits both union and non-union workers in terms of wages. Workers represented by labor unions earn 10.2% higher wages than their non-union peers, obtain better benefits, and collectively raise wages industry-wide. In addition to widespread worker safety, doing away with oppressive right-to-work laws on a national level would undoubtedly raise worker income and decrease America’s seemingly insurmountable wage gap. 

Unions also provide major wage benefits to marginalized populations. Right-to-work states, with a less unionized workforce, have effectively heightened racial disparity in the United States and made clear that states without these laws are significantly more effective at sustainable equality in the workplace. In non-right-to-work states, unions have lowered racial pay gaps, with union membership correlating to pay premiums of 17.3% for Black workers, 23.1% for Latino workers and 14.7% for Asian workers, compared with 10.1% for white workers. Not only do we see widespread benefits without right-to-work laws, we see decreased racial wealth gaps. Eliminating these laws helps dismantle systemic racial bias in the U.S. 

Moreover, women also benefit from the decreasing wage disparities in non-right-to-work states. Research from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research highlights a more equitable atmosphere for women in unions, compared with the current gender wage gap for workers as a whole. Women who are represented by unions earn 88.7 cents on the dollar compared with their male counterparts. Compared to the current wage ratio, 82 cents on the dollar, this is a significantly higher earnings ratio. Vast decreases in unionization in right-to-work states exacerbate both racial and gender inequalities in the U.S. These wage disparities hinder the nation’s ability to provide equity in the workplace, so an expansion of union power across the nation is needed to level the playing field.

Right-to-work laws originate from the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, which allowed states to introduce laws that let workers receive union bargaining benefits without paying for them. This created a “free-rider” problem among unions that inhibited their ability to provide widespread benefits due to insufficient dues. Though the act provides several pro-worker policies, such as preventing employee discrimination based on union membership status and preventing exorbitant fees, it is clear it must be amended to prevent states from enacting these dangerous laws. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, currently stalled in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce as of February 2023, would reconstruct existing labor laws, holding employers responsible for violating worker rights, preventing them from making workers waive their collective bargaining rights, and halting them from hiring permanent replacements for striking workers. This act would strengthen unions and unquestionably improve the quality of life in workplaces across the nation.

Right-to-work laws present a clear danger to worker wages and safety. Their removal is a crucial and necessary step for worker equality and would shrink the wage gap, a significant cause of systemic inequality in America. While a federal policy mandating union membership would require unprecedented widespread national support for worker rights, the federal government nevertheless retains the responsibility to protect bargaining rights, as the welfare of the working class largely depends on them. Removing right-to-work legislation and establishing the PRO Act are the first steps to seeing union benefits on a national level and improving workers’ lives.

Jimmy Hayward (CC ’27) is a junior editor majoring in history and film and media studies. He is passionate about movies, American history, and debate. Jimmy can be reached at jph2203@columbia.edu.