Labor Unions, Corporations and Right-to-Work Laws: Impacts on the American Economy

The labor movement of the U. S. continues to bring the issue of worker rights to the forefront of American policy debates. As the American economy again has shifted from one based on manufacturing and the production of hard goods to one reliant upon human, financial and informational services, the labor movement faces new challenges. Labor unions and business leaders continue to disagree on the proper role of collective action and the effectiveness of policies aimed at the workplace sector. Today, one of the largest debates is the continued role and expansion of Right-to-Work (RTW) legislation. The debate is often cast as one between two perspectives on the guaranteed right to freedom of association. Labor unions believe RTW limits the power of collective action and, subsequently, the collective rights of workers versus business management. Conversely, business management believes that individual choices to associate are taken away through union requirements (Hogler, 2005). This analysis will examine the history of Right-to-Work laws, their impact on state and individual economies, the issues generated from their implementation and offer a recommendation for policy reform