Glossary

Right-to-work law

A state law barring contracts that require workers to join a union or pay union fees as a condition of employment.

Also called: right-to-work, RTW

A right-to-work law prohibits agreements between unions and employers that make union membership or the payment of union dues or fees a condition of keeping a job. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 allows states to adopt such laws, which are sometimes described as banning "union security" clauses.

About half the states have them, concentrated in the South and West; Michigan and Indiana adopted laws in 2012 and 2013, and Michigan repealed its law in 2024. In Janus v. AFSCME (2018), the Supreme Court held that public-sector employees cannot be required to pay fees to a union, making the public sector effectively "right-to-work" nationwide.

Supporters argue that no one should be forced to support an organization as a condition of employment, a matter of individual freedom, and that such laws attract business investment. Opponents, mostly unions and Democrats, argue that unions must represent all workers in a bargaining unit, including non-members, creating "free riders," and that the laws weaken unions and lower wages; studies on wages and employment effects offer mixed or small results. The issue shapes collective bargaining politics and union finances, and it is a partisan dividing line in many state legislatures. See also minimum wage.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

In the index now

Related terms

Collective bargaining Negotiation between an employer and a union representing workers over wages, hours, benefits and conditions, resulting in a binding contract. Minimum wage The lowest hourly pay employers may legally offer, set by federal, state and local law. Occupational licensing State laws requiring workers in certain jobs to obtain a government license, often involving training, exams and fees, before practicing. Deregulation The reduction or removal of government rules governing business and economic activity.