What does “Right to Work” mean?
Right to work or employment without membership in labor organization
No person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain or retain employment because of non-membership in a labor organization, nor shall the State or any subdivision thereof, or any corporation, individual or association of any kind enter into any agreement, written or oral, which excludes any person from employment or continuation of employment because of non-membership in a labor organization. (Addition approved election Nov. 5, 1946, eff. Nov. 25, 1946; amended November 30, 1982.)
For more information on Right to Work in Arizona please visit: https://www.azleg.gov/arizonarevisedstatutes.asp?title=23
If you work in a right to work state you may be under the wrong impression as to what that entails. Many people believe they can be fired without cause at any time. Although you do live in a right to work state that does not mean you have no rights. Here is what it boils down to when talking about the right to work:
You have the right to not join a union and you have the right to not pay dues to a union unless you choose to join. You do not have to be part of a union if you do not wish to be.
Many people that are for union states believe that by employees not being required to pay mandatory dues to a union there cannot be an offset of the larger businesses within the economy. Without this offset they argue it results in fewer earnings for workers. They also argue that employees that are not paying dues to a union are essentially catching a free-ride because they are able to enjoy the perks associated with their employment rights and benefits, but without the price of the union fees.
So is it better to work in a right to work state or a union state? There are arguments for both. I have put some interesting links below:
https://online.wsj.com/article/SB120450306595906431.html
https://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/mitch-daniels-right-and-right-work-wrong
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/business/04labor.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2
https://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/index.php?pr=Forced_Unionism
