Right To Work Law Essay

1. On which side of the 'right to work' law debate do you fall?

Because South Carolina has been a right to work state long before me getting into the work force, I am not too familiar with the right to work law or unions. However, after doing some research I find myself on the right to work side. Right to work does not eliminate unions, but it allows each employee to decide if they would or wouldn’t like to join the union (Parr, 2015). Right to work laws by makes it illegal for unions to force workers into membership or paying dues to keep a job (Parr, 2015). The union can be organized into three different categories. In union shops all employees must become union members within an allotted time; when union membership is a condition for employment it is referred to as closed shops; and in regards to agency shops employees must pay dues regardless of their membership status (Parr, 2015). With union labor laws, employees can be terminated if dues are not paid or if employees do not comply with the union rules regardless of job performance (Parr, 2015). If unions want to exist in a right to work state they will have to show the value of their services while making efforts to control costs in order to maintain voluntary membership (Parr, 2015).

The right to work laws do protect worker interest. Joining the union in a right to work state is voluntary, therefore if you don’t think the union is earning their keep, you are not forced to continue to pay (Sherk, 2014). Collective bargaining is still available to right to work states, congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act ("NLRA") in 1935 (National Labor Relations Act, n.d.). The NLRA protects the rights of employees, employers, and encourage collective bargaining (National Labor Relations Act, n.d.).

Is your state a 'right to work'