From The Labor Force: This is what Martin Luther King had to say about right-to-work laws:

In case you missed it, earlier this month the “National Right to Work Act” was reintroduced in both the House and Senate by Congressman Joe Wilson and Senator Rand Paul.

If enacted, this legislation will have serious negative repercussions for not just unionized workers, but for all workers. Can you take a moment today to demand your representatives reject this anti-worker bill?

The phrase “right to work” sounds nice, but the reality is that right-to-work laws are designed to weaken unions by allowing unionized workers to opt out of paying union dues while still benefiting from a contract. This hurts unions’ collective bargaining strength, costs workers, and ultimately benefits the boss.

This is what Martin Luther King had to say about right-to-work laws:

“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right to work.’ It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights.

Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone…Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer and there are no civil rights.”

Study after study illustrates the damage done by right-to-work (RTW) legislation in this country.

• States with RTW laws have lower union density. Just 5.2% of workers in RTW states are covered by a union contract, in comparison to approximately 10% of workers in non-RTW states.
• Workers in RTW states have lower wages, less benefits, and higher workplace fatality rates across the board.
• RTW weakens unions but hurts everyone, unionized or not, as unions historically have raised wages for all workers as employers compete in the labor market.

Right now, twenty-five states have right-to-work laws and workers in those states face less collective bargaining power, lower wages, and worse working conditions as a result. We need to fight to repeal existing RTW legislation, not expand it!

Take action to protect our collective rights today! Send a message to your representatives demanding they reject the National Right to Work Act.

In Solidarity,

The Labor Force

The Labor Force is building worker power by uplifting the most exciting and pressing campaigns across the U.S. labor movement.

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