Right to work is a state law that makes union security agreements between labor unions and companies illegal. Under this law, employees working in unionized places are not allowed to negotiate contracts which require every member who benefits from the union contract to cater for the costs of union representation. This simply means that union security agreements or agreements between labor unions and employers are prohibited.

These are simply the agreements that govern the extent to which an established labor union can require employees to contribute money for their membership, for payment of union dues and some fees as a condition for keeping their job or getting a job.

More than half of States in the country today have enacted the Right to work laws. The law is meant to promote the right of workers to obtain employment even without being members of a labor union. With such laws in place, workers cannot be required to pay for any costs to be represented by a union, even if the union is active in their workplace and represents most other employee in the same organization. The law comes with several advantages and disadvantages though.

Pros and Cons of Right to Work

The law promotes equality.

From the right to work facts, all employees are treated the same, whether they are members of a labor union or not. Without this statue in place, workers who are not represented by a labor union will be at a disadvantage to those who have the representation. This ensures that the rights of the minority are implemented and that due process is achieved in the end.

There is freedom of association

The right to work act means that employees are not forced into joining labor unions they do not want to be part of. Workers are free to decide the union to join and when to join it, without feeling as if they are coerced into doing so. They also have an option to remain without union representation if they so wish.

It limits corruption

Unions are supposed to be paid only for the services they render and by the people that they serve. When such a law is in place, it ensures that unions are only receiving money that they work for, not more money by force from unwilling individual.

Cons of Right to Work Law

The benefits of right to work are many but there are cons to consider too. There are only a few unions that are willing to work in Right to Work environments and this means that employees in such places may not get to enjoy the kind of representation they deserve. Again, wages in environments where the law has been implemented seem to be lower than in areas where the law is not in use.

What does Right to Work mean and how does it affect employees? This is the very first thing employees need to find out before they can embrace it for all the benefits it seems to offer.