Article

Right to Work Would Harm All Americans

Authors Ryan Erickson and Karla Walter describe why a national right-to-work law would increase the power of corporations but harm the middle class, workers, and American democracy.

Given how regularly President Donald Trump’s election is attributed—wrongly or rightly—to his ability to speak to Americans who feel alienated by the modern, global economy, it would be wise for Republicans in Congress to pause in their push to hobble worker power. Nonetheless, days after President Trump’s inauguration, Republicans introduced a so-called right-to-work bill that would weaken the bargaining power and lower the wages of working people.

The bill has been introduced in several previous sessions of Congress, where it languished without passage. This time, however, is different: Now, in addition to controlling the House and the Senate, Republicans hold the White House. Even though President Trump sometimes plays coy with his feelings about worker organizations, Trump and his administration support right-to-work laws. As a result, the law has a real shot at passing—an action that would harm all working Americans, regardless of whether they are union members.

The above excerpt was originally published in CAP Action. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Ryan Erickson

Associate Director, Economic Campaigns

Karla Walter

Senior Fellow, Inclusive Economy