A review of recent research on the impact of "right-to-work" laws, including the following findings:

• RTW laws don’t generate jobs, economic growth

• Prior research on RTW employment growth was inaccurate

• RTW laws lead to declines in workplace representation and wages

• If more states enact RTW laws, economic recovery is at risk

  Download the full review.

Erin Johansson and Michael Wasser, American Rights at Work, UPDATED January 2012. 

Washington, D.C. – In stark contrast to the decline in union membership in recent years, union membership levels held steady at 11.8 percent in 2011, falling a mere 0.1 percentage compared to 2010.

Though cash-strapped state and local governments cut jobs, the percentage of public sector workers in unions increased from 36.2 percent to 37.0 percent. In other words, the loss of public sector non-union jobs occurred at a higher rate than the loss of union jobs. Employment loss in the public sector was offset by gains in the private sector, where union membership stayed at 6.9 percent with an increase of 110,000 union members. The construction industry, which experienced one of the greatest drops in unionization in 2010, saw 73,000 union members added in 2011—the largest net gain for any industry.
 
Following the release of the Bureau of Labor Statistics report on union membership, American Rights at Work Executive Director Kimberly Freeman Brown issued this statement:

“The 99 percent can take heart in today’s numbers—a welcome change from recent years.

“Despite the egregious attacks on public sector workers, the continuous assault on collective bargaining from politicians at every level of government, and the obstacles workers still face when they try to join together in a union, Americans are holding their ground.

“Jobs are finally coming back, and with them, an increased number of workers with access to fair pay, decent benefits, and a voice on the job. Many of these new union jobs are a direct result of unions working together with their employers to weather the economic storm. For instance, as the auto industry rebounded, GM and the UAW collaborated to restore production and good, American jobs. 

“That’s not to say we don’t have more work to do. Millions of Americans are still out of work, even more are struggling to make ends meet, and workers are still under attack in statehouses nationwide. At the same time, unscrupulous companies continue to squeeze their employees and lower job standards, furthering the erosion of the middle class.

“But if we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that voters support workers’ right to a voice on the job through their union—as a path to economic security for their families, a boon to their communities, and a much-needed counterbalance to the unbridled influence of the 1 percent. And when legislators attempt to strip away that right, they pay the price at the ballot box.”

On November 28, 2011, Cooper Tire & Rubber locked out 1,050 workers in Findlay, Ohio. When Cooper Tire was losing money in 2008, these employees gave up $31 million in concessions to help their employer stay alive. Cooper has since rebounded, raking in $300 million in profits – and handing corporate executives millions in raises and bonuses. Workers simply want a fair deal that recognizes their sacrifice. Instead they have been left out in the cold.

Fight back against corporate greed and help Cooper Tire workers get back to work.

Washington, D.C. – Today, American Rights at Work executive director Kimberly Freeman Brown issued the following statement in response to the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in D.R. Horton, Inc., which ruled that the company cannot prevent employees from bringing workplace grievances as a class under its mandatory arbitration agreement.

“Under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), employees have full freedom to engage in concerted activity for aid or protection. D.R. Horton’s decision to enforce its arbitration agreement by dividing a class of workers facing overtime violations into single units was a clear violation the NLRA—and a threat to all employees who seek access to justice through any dispute resolution mechanism.

“Because when a company refuses to allow workers to join together to arbitrate claims, it raises the costs to individual employees, dissuades other employees from following through with their claims, and increases the likelihood that workers will be coerced during the process. In other words, the balance of power shifts even more toward lawbreaking corporations.

“Particularly in these tough economic times, it’s critical that we safeguard employees’ ability to join together to improve their workplace and ensure that they are fairly compensated for their work. The NLRB acted rightfully in deciding against the company.”